One False Step
by PemberleyFan
Summary: "One false step involves her in endless ruin. . . " In this story, one (literal) false step causes a chain reaction of events that will result in Elizabeth's forced marriage to Darcy. Angst, humor and romance will abound! I can't wait to take this journey with all of you!
1. Prologue

The morning after Darcy and his cousin had left Rosings, Elizabeth found herself wandering in the park yet again, once more perusing the contents of the startling letter he had given her just one day before. She had already nearly memorized it, but she could not help reading it through repeatedly, hoping to find some new meaning, some way of interpreting its assertions, that would excuse the angry accusations she had hurled at Darcy during their spirited conversation. Wanting as much privacy as possible, she made her way to a secluded grove she thought of as hers, next to a fresh spring that trailed away into a noisy brook. She sat on the end of a fallen log before pulling the letter from the pocket of her spencer and opening it.

With a fresh desire not to believe a word Darcy said, she read again his defense of his actions in regards to Jane and Bingley, but the passage of twenty four hours did not change the conclusions she had reached the day before. After careful reflection, forcing herself to an unflinching honesty, she had to allow that his behavior in this instance might be considered reasonable, if high-handed. She could not quite forgive him for it, of course. But neither could she completely condemn his desire to protect his friend, even though he had unintentionally hurt Jane. His motives had been good. As a detached observer, not knowing Jane's true feelings, she might even have approved of what he had done.

She then moved on to the sections which dealt with Wickham, reading these passages much more slowly today than yesterday. Perhaps there might be some detail she had missed that would exonerate her former favorite. After reading Darcy's account several more times, she made herself lay the letter aside for a moment, concentrating on recalling every detail that Wickham had told her, weighing the merits of each person's story, the pertinent details, and especially considering how Darcy had trusted her with information about his own sister. Then she took up the letter again.

It was no use. She found that to blame Darcy regarding Wickham was now an impossibility. One man had displayed all the appearance of goodness, but the other, all the substance. When she closed her eyes, she could still see Wickham's handsome features in her mind and picture again the charming persona he had presented, the very picture of an ideal gentleman. But when her eyes were opened, that vision vanished as abruptly as the ripples in the stream next to her.

She had arrived at the same conclusion she had reached yesterday: Darcy was a much better man than she had credited, and she had let her own pride blind her to that fact.

But she did not regret her refusal of his offer, for even though his character was better than she had thought, his disposition was proven to be just as disagreeable. His application for her hand had been an exercise in insults, and his anger at her refusal was not gentlemanly at all. The tone of his letter, too, showed condescension and arrogance. He was all haughtiness, pride, and insolence. She had spoken to him in anger, but at least some of what she said had been the truth. He was still, of all the men she had known, one of the most disagreeable.

She thought it not likely that she and Darcy should ever meet again, and impossible that he would ever want to renew his addresses. But if he did, her answer would remain the same, although she would take care to couch it in much more gentle terms. As a gentleman of good breeding, he at least deserved that much courtesy. In the meantime, she would do her best to put the whole sorry incident out of her mind. She was not made for unhappiness, and she was determined that memories of the ill-tempered Mr. Darcy would not spoil her last few days in Kent.

She had been in the grove for some time now, and a look at the sun's position in the sky showed it was past time for her to return to the parsonage. Accordingly she rose and turned back, still holding the letter and reading intently as she went, her eyes fixed on particular passages, reading it one last time before she would put it aside. She was about to replace the letter in her pocket when the heel of her shoe struck an upturned tree root and threw her abruptly off balance. Darcy's letter flew from her hands. She fell hard on the packed dirt of the path, both arms outstretched before her.

In a moment she was standing upright again. She had not been badly hurt, but the heel of her right hand was red and swollen, and apt to cause pain when she pressed on it. Her dress had several stains and marks on it to show where she had fallen. Annoyed, she began to brush the dirt away, but that just made her hand hurt more. She knew she had to return to the parsonage at once to wrap it before the swelling became any worse. Irritated by her carelessness, she retrieved the letter and its envelope with her good hand and impatiently thrust them in her pocket. With all the dignity she could muster, she made her way back down the path towards the parsonage.

Behind her, one single page of Mr. Darcy's letter still lay in the path, overlooked by its distracted owner.

_"__Be not alarmed, madam, on receiving this letter," _it began in Darcy's distinctive hand_, "by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments or renewal of those offers which were last night so disgusting to you. . . . "_


	2. Chapter One

Charlotte exclaimed over the injured hand when she saw it and in short order had it well wrapped, with a soothing salve inside the bandages. Elizabeth was bemused by the attention given to such a trifling hurt.

"You mustn't fuss over it so, Charlotte, it is really nothing," she told her friend affectionately. "And it is no more than I deserve for being so careless."

"Shush, do not let Mr. Collins hear you say that," her friend answered. "I have told him that your injury unfortunately prevents us both from attending Lady Catherine at tea this afternoon. He, of course, will still be going, but he feels certain that her ladyship will forgive your absence on this occasion, given the circumstances."

"In that case, you may tell him that my hand was much more badly hurt than I had first thought, and it is possible I will not be recovered for several days."

Charlotte asked Elizabeth exactly what she had tripped over, and Elizabeth described the obstacle and its location.

"You were quite a ways from the parsonage, Lizzy. I have rarely gone so far myself. "

"The woods and fields are very pretty at this time of year, Charlotte. It is impossible not to admire them each day."

"But you were not looking at them when you tripped, were you? Something else had your attention."

Elizabeth looked at her friend sharply and Charlotte met her gaze evenly. "If I were to say that your mind was distracted by thoughts of a certain gentleman from Derbyshire, would I be correct? Or do I ask too much?"

A feeling of lightness and relief came over Elizabeth at her friend's perceptive insight. It would never do to talk about Darcy to almost anyone else. Truthfully, it was a secret she felt she would have to carry on her own even after returning to Hertfordshire, for she would struggle to tell Jane about her conversation with Darcy without bringing up Bingley's name. But since Charlotte had already guessed something amiss, and Elizabeth was assured of her discretion, she had no fear in confirming her suspicions. Still, she would not make it too easy.

"You know I have no affection for Mr. Darcy, Charlotte, so why would you think that my mind is preoccupied by him?"

"You have not been yourself at all for the last two days, Lizzie, wandering off by yourself at the slightest opportunity, and not carrying on your usual conversation. And then my maid told me Mr. Darcy called here the other night when you were home with a headache and Mr. Collins and I were at Rosings."

"Your maid is correct, and so were you, when you said that Mr. Darcy might have an interest in me."

Charlotte's face brightened. "Did he declare himself? I should so like to see you happily settled."

"Then you may be content, for I am happily settled to be _without _him."

"Lizzie! Do you mean to say that you turned him down?"

"With no regrets whatsoever. I wish you could have heard his proposal. You would not blame me at all for refusing him."

Charlotte listened carefully as Elizabeth described Darcy's insults to her family, but she was not as entertained as Elizabeth had expected her to be. "Elizabeth, have you no idea of the compliment he paid you by making his addresses to you? He is a man of great consequence. "

"Oh, I felt very complimented indeed! Rarely have I been so insulted and complimented at the same time, in fact. I wish he had flattered me more by insulting my aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as my parents and sisters. Perhaps then I would have fallen at his feet in gratitude at his offer. He expected nothing less."

"I am sorry that he was not more fluent in his affections, but I have never heard anyone here criticize his character. He is quite the gentleman. You are not likely to ever receive such an offer from such a man again."

Charlotte's words were so similar to those used by Mr. Collins in his failed proposal that Elizabeth had to hide a smile.

"You know he and I would never suit. I could not make him happy, nor he, me."

"Happiness in marriage is a matter of chance, Lizzy. When two people come from similar backgrounds and want the same things in life, and they spend so much time together in the same household, with all the normal intimacies involved, affection will develop over time."

Elizabeth longed to ask her friend if she had yet discovered this affection with Mr. Collins, but she would not bring up such a delicate topic. Instead, she said, "Your idea of marital happiness is very different from mine, Charlotte. You make it sound more like an inevitability then a matter of chance, though we both know many unhappy couples. I am not content to take a chance, as you say, and hope that I will come to love my husband over time. Such an irretrievable step should be taken with at least a little likelihood of success."

"So this is what you have been brooding over the last two days? Have you regretted your answer at all?"

"No, but I have regretted some of the things I said to him when I refused him, and especially how I said them. I have yet to tell you about the letter he gave me the next morning."

"He wrote you a letter!" Charlotte's face showed her amazement.

Elizabeth described what Darcy had written about Jane and Bingley, and there, Charlotte had the satisfaction of being able to point out that what she had said about Jane previously was correct.

"If only she had known then what she must learn now!" Charlotte said, not without sympathy. "A lady must always express more than she feels, so as to encourage the gentleman along the way. I hope that she will be more demonstrative next time."

"I doubt there will be a next time, Charlotte. Jane was quite attached to Mr. Bingley. I wish that well-meaning friends from Derbyshire would allow their intimate friends from Hertfordshire to determine such things on their own. Bingley needed no guidance from his friend at all, and Mr. Darcy and his sisters should not have interfered."

"You cannot completely blame Mr. Darcy there, Elizabeth. If he had not interfered we may be certain his sisters would have done so, probably with the same outcome. And Mr. Bingley himself is to blame, for allowing himself to be influenced to such a degree. He ought to be his own man."

"I believe there is blame enough for everyone involved to share, Charlotte, and plenty left over."

Charlotte asked about Wickham and Darcy. "What did Mr. Darcy have to say about your friend in the militia? Or did he even address the situation?"

"He addressed it at great length. And this, Charlotte, is what has been most vexing to me. I am afraid that I allowed my own pride to be injured so much by Mr. Darcy's comment about me last autumn, that I was completely blinded by Wickham when he claimed to be injured by Mr. Darcy as well."

With the greatest curiosity Charlotte urged Elizabeth to tell her the whole story, which Elizabeth did, omitting the part about Darcy's sister. He had not given her permission to relate anything about Miss Darcy to anyone, and she could not help but feel that advertising the poor girl's folly would be a cruelty as great as what she had already endured.

"And do you believe him, Elizabeth? Do you now think Wickham was to be blamed, and Darcy completely innocent?"

"I am afraid that I do. Their stories coincide completely right up until one detail. Both agree that Wickham was a favorite of the old Mr. Darcy, and that he was sent to Cambridge by that man and given every possible advantage. They agree that the old Mr. Darcy's will left a living to Wickham, and that Wickham did not get it. But they disagree as to why. Wickham says that Darcy disregarded his father's will and gave the living to another; Darcy claims Wickham turned the living down in lieu of three thousand pounds, which he then squandered away."

"That does not sound like a detail, but like the heart of the whole matter. How are we to know which version is true?"

"I do not see how Mr. Darcy could disregard his father's will," Elizabeth said slowly. "Surely Wickham would have had an avenue of redress if he did. And Wickham did say that the living was left to him on some sort of condition, which he did not name. Besides all this, Mr. Darcy did tell me that I could apply to Colonel Fitzwilliam to have every detail confirmed."

"Then you may depend on it, Mr. Darcy's version is the real history. Poor Mr. Darcy, to be so maligned by Wickham at every turn! And then to have you, of all people, bring up such accusations to him as well, when he most hoped to win your hand. I hope you were temperate in your response."

Elizabeth looked away momentarily. "I was not temperate at all, Charlotte," she said in a low voice. "I let my temper get the better of me and spoke rashly about things that I did not know about at all. That is the worst part of all."

"But you do not regret your choice?"

"Not at all! He was still as ill-tempered a man as I have ever seen. He may behave in a principled way, but he does not speak that way! Allow me to let you read how he started his letter to me."

Charlotte gave her consent, and Elizabeth retreated to her bedroom upstairs to find the letter and return with it. Charlotte waited patiently for several minutes, until the sound of heavy furniture being moved overhead motivated her to follow her friend.

"Lizzy, what _are_ you doing?" Charlotte asked, taking in the sight of Elizabeth bent over looking between the dresser and the wall, with the dresser pushed out a little ways. "You will hurt your hand again if you are not careful."

"Who cares about my hand? I cannot find my letter!" Elizabeth exclaimed, pulling back from behind the dresser and bending over to look under the bed. "At least, I cannot find all of it. I put the letter and the envelope here on the dresser when I changed after my walk, but one of the pages, the very first one, is missing." And she actually lay down on the floor to put her whole head under the bed. She pulled back out again after a moment, shaking her head in frustration.

"I'm sure it's here somewhere," Charlotte said with some amusement. "Did you put it in your pocket?"

"Yes, the pocket of my spencer, when I was out walking. But my spencer is not here."

"I had Sarah take it to be washed, along with your dress," Charlotte said apologetically. "Let me call her."

Sarah, when she came to the room, was also apologetic, but she was quite firm that the pockets of Elizabeth's spencer had been empty when she took the garment to the laundry. She helped Elizabeth and Charlotte examine every corner of the room, and they also searched the first floor areas where Elizabeth had been, without success.

The mystery was not solved until Charlotte asked, "Did you happen to drop it anywhere?" and Elizabeth suddenly made a sound that was half laugh, half a sound of dismay.

"Of course! I dropped the letter, all the pages and the envelope together, when I fell outside! I thought I had picked them all up, but obviously I overlooked a page."

"Then we must go now to get it," Charlotte said, beginning to move towards the front door. "It would not do to have a stranger read correspondence between you and Mr. Darcy, no matter how innocent it may be. Is your name on it? Is his?"

"It was addressed to me, it said my name at the top. I cannot remember if his name was on it at the beginning, or just at the end. I paid no attention to the heading, I was so taken with the rest. Charlotte, who would find that letter and read it? And would they know who I am?"

"Let us hope we do not find out," Charlotte answered in some dismay, opening the front door just in time to see raindrops beginning to fall. The sky had turned threatening; rain looked likely to start soon and continue for some time. Determinedly, the two ladies donned their outdoor clothes and umbrellas, and Charlotte followed Elizabeth to the offending tree root. But no letter was to be seen. After several minutes of frustrated searching they were forced by the increasing rain to return to the parsonage, where Elizabeth sat down rather helplessly on the nearest divan.

"I suppose I shall never see that page again. I can only hope that nobody else does either."

"You wanted me to read the first page in order to see his manners for myself," Charlotte reminded her. "Is his manner as offensive in the rest of the letter?"

Elizabeth forced her mind away from the missing page. She hesitated to let Charlotte read the rest of the letter because of the sections involving Miss Darcy. Charlotte already knew the contents of everything concerning Wickham. "His manner is much better by the end of the letter," she said carefully.

"But you do not wish me to read it?" Charlotte asked gently.

"I am sorry, but Mr. Darcy also confided in me in one other matter that pertains to Mr. Wickham. He gave me information which could be hurtful to another person's reputation, and he did not give me leave to share it. I prefer not to break that confidence."

"He confided something so sensitive with you, after you had turned him down and falsely accused him? My dear Lizzy, I think he must be very much in love with you. He could have walked away from you entirely, but it was clearly important to him to regain your good opinion."

"That was his pride speaking, Charlotte, nothing more. I pray you do not read more into it than there is!"

The next morning Elizabeth awoke to the sound of rain still pouring steadily outside, creating a muffled, soothing rhythm of gentle tappings all around. The chimes of the clock downstairs told her it was past time to rise and go to breakfast, but she had no desire to get up just yet. She and Charlotte had stayed up late the night before, taking advantage of Mr. Collins' absence from the parsonage to talk over everything with Darcy again and again. Mr. Collins had only returned from Rosings shortly before they retired, and now, with the rain keeping him indoors, he would be sitting downstairs in the breakfast room, tediously repeating every detail of the conversations and activities of the night before. For that recital, she could gladly wait all day, and so she stayed underneath the warm blankets, enjoying the relaxation that comes from a complete lack of obligation to do anything meaningful at all.

Suddenly she twisted her head, then sat up in order to hear better. A carriage had definitely pulled up to the parsonage door, and somebody was rapping loudly at the entry. She thought it must be something rather particular to bring someone calling at this time of the morning, before visiting hours had fairly begun, and in the poor weather. Elizabeth could hear the sound of several sets of feet moving about on the first floor, and the front door opening and then closing firmly. A strident female voice saying her name made her eyes widen in surprise, but she hardly had time to react, for already Charlotte's footsteps were climbing the steps, and a moment later she knocked and opened Elizabeth's door simultaneously.

"Lizzie, Lady Catherine is asking for you at once in the drawing room. She will absolutely not tolerate any delay, no matter what the hour. I am afraid," she added with alarm, "we now know exactly where the missing page of Mr. Darcy's letter may be found."

_**AN: Thank you so much to everyone for reading, reviewing, and following! This is such a great community! I am enjoying reading all of your comments and messages. You guys are the best!**_

_**-Elaine**_


	3. Chapter Two

Elizabeth readied herself as quickly as possible, considering the early hour and the fact that she had not yet even risen for the day. Silently she chided herself for choosing this day, of all days, to stay indoors at an early hour, while she also regretted ever making the acquaintance of a certain gentleman from Derbyshire.

"Try not to say anything you will regret later," Charlotte told Elizabeth in an undertone as she led her friend to the imposing lady's presence. "Her concern is for her family's reputation; she will not wish to advertise Darcy's offer to you to anyone. If you can deflect her questions easily, this may blow over quickly." Elizabeth sighed heavily, resigning herself to an unpleasant interview, as Charlotte brought her into the room, made a curtsey and then swiftly left.

"My dear cousin," began the ubiquitous Mr. Collins, "You have been honored with a request for an audience with Lady Catherine herself!"

But Lady Catherine cut him off. "Leave us." Mr. Collins' face barely changed expression as he bowed and made his exit, but Elizabeth suspected that even he recognized his patron's abrupt manner towards him.

"Good morning, Lady Catherine. It is an unexpected pleasure to see you at the parsonage today." Elizabeth said as pleasantly as possible, curtseying in her turn and making her way to a seat across from her noble visitor.

"Miss Bennet, my presence here can be no surprise to you. Of course you knew this would happen, when you left Darcy's letter on the path for all the world to see!" Lady Catherine brandished the missing page in the air like a weapon, then laid it on the table next to her, none too gently. "You knew that one of my servants would find it, and give it to me. Your name was on it as the recipient, and of course you knew I would recognize Darcy's handwriting. Surely that was your plan, to ensure that everyone knows of his letter to you, so that you can entrap him into a marriage?"

Elizabeth's mouth nearly hung open at this unexpected and unwelcome interpretation. For a moment she struggled between dismay and something that felt close to amusement. "I can assure you, Lady Catherine, that I had no such thought. The letter was dropped by mistake. I should very much like to have it back, so that we can prevent any further unfortunate misunderstandings."

"You may have your letter back, Miss Bennet," the other lady answered dismissively. "It would be beneath my dignity to read a letter taken from another gentlewoman, or to make its contents known to anyone without knowing more about it. But of course I had to understand what was given to me, when my servant said he saw your name on the page. Do I understand correctly, that my nephew made you an offer, and that you refused him? Is it true that you found both his sentiments and his offers disgusting?"

"With all due respect, your ladyship may ask questions, which I may or may not see fit to answer. The letter is a private matter between Mr. Darcy and me."

"It is clear from this page, Miss Bennet, that Darcy has made you an offer of some sort, and between an unattached gentleman and an unattached gentleman's daughter, there is only one offer to be made."

Elizabeth could think of many types of offers that might be made between a man and a woman, but Darcy, as a gentleman of honor, would never suggest anything less than marriage. She decided it would be impolitic to mention this, however. "I repeat, madam. This is a private matter, between Mr. Darcy and me."

"I insist on knowing everything at once. Does an understanding exist between you and my nephew?"

"If your ladyship has read that page in its entirety, then you already know the outcome of his offer. I can add nothing more."

"_That_ signifies nothing! You might change your mind at any time. I am told it is the custom nowadays for a fashionable young woman to decline a suitable proposal at least once before accepting it, in order to fan the ardor of her suitor. Turning him down the first time might be part of your strategy. You may be trying to entice him into a better offer."

Half hysterically, Elizabeth thought of Mr. Collins and his stubborn refusal of her answer to him. It seemed clear, now, why he had reacted as he did, and where he had received his faulty intelligence about elegant females. "Lady Catherine, I assure you that I have never heard of such a practice among fashionable young ladies, and if it is in existence, then please do me the honor of thinking me less than fashionable. I have no such strategy, towards Mr. Darcy or any other man. It would be a strange tactic indeed, to take such a chance as declining an eligible offer in the hopes that the gentleman in question might renew his addresses later."

"It would seem _very_ strange, to a person of good breeding. But among your class, no doubt such stratagems are more common."

Elizabeth felt her anger rise at this, but before she could answer, Lady Catherine continued. "Tell me, Miss Bennet, how did you manage to attract his attention? Your looks are well enough but they are nothing out of the common way, and your connections and fortune do not add to your charm. Your family in particular are nothing to impress. You must be much more clever than I first gave you credit for."

"I made no efforts to attract his attention, your ladyship," Elizabeth answered with rising color, but determined to outlast this onslaught of demeaning remarks. "I had no such desire."

Lady Catherine eyed her with a narrowed gaze. "Surely you realized what an alliance with my nephew would mean. Any young woman in your situation would gladly accept him. I flatter myself that there could scarcely be a more eligible man in all England than Darcy. His family fortune is splendid, and he comes from an ancient, though untitled line. Your own situation in life would be decidedly improved by such a connection. The entail on your father's estate would mean nothing at all in the face of such a change in circumstances, and the benefit to your sisters would be immeasurable. And you mean to say that you turned all of this down?"

Elizabeth was sorely tempted to tell Lady Catherine that Darcy's manners were too much like his aunt's for her comfort, but having abused Darcy so abominably to his face, she found she could not now criticize him to his relatives.

Suddenly inspired, she spoke with absolute solemnity. "I was tempted to give my consent at first, but I realized very quickly, madam, what your ladyship would think of such a connection. The advantages of a marriage with your nephew could never outweigh the disapproval of his family. We would be outcasts from society. Even you, as devoted to him as you are, would never have spoken his name again. Such degradation would have been insupportable, and even when weighed against the material advantages you have mentioned, I found myself unable to accept him."

Their conversation had a small interruption just then, as Charlotte entered to serve tea for them both. Neither Lady Catherine nor Elizabeth said a word as Charlotte arranged the cups and poured, although Charlotte caught Elizabeth's eye expressively several times when Lady Catherine could not observe her. Elizabeth had no doubt that her friend, and probably Mr. Collins, were stationed just outside the door to the room, listening to every word. When Charlotte had left again, both ladies took up their tea cups ceremoniously.

"You are a sensible young lady, Miss Bennet, and much more reasonable than I had expected to find," said Lady Catherine, still eyeing her carefully. "I am gratified to find that you know your place in society, and have no wish to quit it." Elizabeth nodded gravely in acknowledgement but said nothing.

"And you were doubtless also thinking of all the attentions I have paid to you in the last six weeks, and the benefits of exposure to the superior society in which you have been placed. Certainly you were grateful to me."

"I have indeed found your attentions remarkable, your ladyship," Elizabeth answered, fighting a desire to laugh.

"Then too, you remembered that Darcy is destined for my Anne, and you had no wish to interfere with their union."

"None whatsoever," Elizabeth agreed, taking a small sip from her cup.

"You will, of course, speak of my nephew's offer to no one," Lady Catherine instructed her.

"Not even to my mother?" Elizabeth asked in seeming innocence, knowing she would never wish to communicate this at home. "It would be such a triumph for her, to know such an important man offered for me."

"I insist upon it!" Lady Catherine glared at her. "And my wishes will be obeyed. It is imperative that nobody else know of his offer, or of the existence of his letter. The letter, especially, invites inquiry and speculation. It could be interpreted the wrong way, and taken as confirmation of a liaison between you. It could compromise you utterly. You will destroy it at your earliest opportunity."

Irritated by her manner, Elizabeth instantly resolved that she would _never_ destroy the letter. "Your ladyship is all kindness and concern."

Lady Catherine continued without interruption. "It is imperative that Darcy not be exposed to you again. He will make the proper overtures to my daughter, if he does not have you to distract him. It is not likely that you and he shall meet again, but if you do, you must avoid his company at all costs."

"Very willingly," Elizabeth concurred, secretly amused at this convenient directive.

"You will under no circumstances allow a private audience with him again. You must do nothing to invite his further attentions, so that his good sense may quickly overcome this temporary lapse of judgment. And if he does manage to make his addresses again, you will convince him how utterly unsuitable you are for such a role." Elizabeth stiffened, feeling her amusement disappear, but Lady Catherine continued.

"And lastly, you must remove yourself from Hunsford at once. Darcy is in town now, but there is no way to know when he may return here, and he should not be exposed to your influence before he has had a chance to escape it. My coach shall deliver you to your uncle's as soon as you are packed."

At this last insult, Elizabeth felt her indignation flare. Interruption was now absolutely necessary. She set down her teacup with the greatest of care.

"Your ladyship, I have been as accommodating as I possibly can be, probably more accommodating than you would find most people in these circumstances. But please allow me to say that your efforts to unite Mr. Darcy with your daughter are ill-considered, overbearing, and very likely to fail. I am merely one acquaintance of Mr. Darcy's, one of many women he has known or may know in the future. Do you truly believe that I am the reason he has made no offer for Miss de Bourgh until now, when he only met me last November? If he sees me no more, do you think he will suddenly settle on someone whom he could have chosen years ago, if he so desired?"

"He was on the point of making an offer, until he met you! You, with your cunning tricks and stratagems, have made him forget his duty!"

"By what authority do you believe that I employed any tricks or strategies? If Mr. Darcy is determined not to marry his cousin, why should he not choose another? And if he decides to choose another, why should I not be that one?"

"So I was right!" Lady Catherine looked more triumphant than indignant. "You, with your inferior breeding and lack of connections and fortune, are determined to have him after all!"

"You have insulted me in every way possible, madam, and you are about to humiliate me further by casting me out of my friend's home, when I have done nothing to deserve such treatment. My only possible offense can be that I received an offer of marriage from en eligible gentleman. I must beg you to allow me to end this interview. We can have nothing further to say to one another."

"Not so fast! You will answer my question first. Are you determined to marry Darcy?"

Elizabeth debated with herself briefly, whether she should answer or not. "I am not," she answered, after a brief pause.

Lady Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. "And will you promise me, never to enter into an engagement with him?"

"I will do no such thing." At Lady Catherine's indignant gasp, she continued. "I am not determined to marry Mr. Darcy, your ladyship. At present I can think of few men I would rather marry less. But I _am_ determined to act in a way that will prove the most likely path for my happiness, without any reference to you or to anyone so completely unconnected to me."

Lady Catherine rose and marched to the other side of the room before turning to face Elizabeth with a look of utter disdain. "What else did Darcy write in his note to you? This was only the first page, I take it. Where is the rest of it?"

"You have said it would be beneath your dignity to read a gentlewoman's correspondence."

"And so it would. But I will see it destroyed, the entire letter, before I leave this house."

"Then you will have to do so without my assistance." Elizabeth said this as coolly as she could, but she realized that Lady Catherine must be completely desperate to insist on such a drastic step. Would Mr. Collins cooperate with his patroness to such an extent? She thought he probably would.

But Lady Catherine had reached the limits of how far she would abase herself. Elizabeth saw her glance at the first page of the letter, still lying where she had left it. She apparently reached a decision.

"Very well, then, I shall know how to act. The letter can easily be explained as the foolish concoction of a mercenary young woman, should you choose to publicize it."

Elizabeth nearly rolled her eyes, but Lady Catherine continued. "You will be ready to leave this house in an hour at most. My driver will wait outside to take you as soon as you are packed. If I were not so desirous to be sure you are gone, I would not even give you that much attention. I will extend no compliments to your family and no invitation to return. I am most seriously displeased with you."

With that, the great lady left the room, and Elizabeth heard her gain the front door and go through it with remarkable speed. To her relief, the door was not slammed. Her nerves could not have taken one more upsetting event.

"My dear friend," Charlotte said compassionately, reappearing in the room with such speed that Elizabeth knew her earlier suspicion was correct, and giving her a sisterly embrace. "I am so sorry this has happened to you. Are you quite all right?"

Elizabeth drew a shaky breath. "I am well. That conversation went better than I thought it would."

"How could it possibly have gone any worse?"

"The missing page could have been found by someone else, by someone who would not care about its effects on me and would be happy to spread gossip. Lady Catherine was insulting, but at least we know she will not speak of this to anyone else, and since neither of us wishes for me to marry Mr. Darcy, my reputation is as safe as it can be. She has no reason to publicly tie me to Mr. Darcy in such a way, and the letter is now back in my possession. We can be sure, now, that the worst is over."-

_**AN: I continue to be blown away by your enthusiastic response to this story! This was a fun chapter to write and I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for your comments and messages! Have a happy New Year!-Elaine Owen**_


	4. Chapter Three

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for your kind comments and feedback! Let the angst begin!-Elaine Owen**

**Chapter Three**

Elizabeth's departure from Hunsford was nothing like her arrival. Then, she had been conducted leisurely and with care, in the company of well known and friendly acquaintances, to the welcome embrace of a friend at the end of her journey. But on this day, immediately after her conversation with Charlotte, Mr. Collins had begun urging her to pack and take her departure before she angered Lady Catherine with any delay. Hurried packing and preparations for travel, apologies from her to Charlotte and back again for trouble caused, a final ceremonious farewell with Mr. Collins, who was eager to let her know the length, breadth, height and depth of her transgressions against Lady Catherine—these all took an hour or so and diverted her attention for a little while.

But once she was in the carriage, with only Sarah to keep her company, she had time to reflect on the events of the morning, and to be sorry that such a pleasant visit had ended so abruptly. Her emotions finally had a chance to make themselves known, and she realized that between the anger, surprise, and disbelief that she felt, anger was her strongest emotion. She was angry at Lady Catherine, of course, for her ridiculous demands and interference in other's affairs, and angry at herself for being so careless and putting her friend in a difficult position, where she had to choose between offending her friend and pleasing her family's patron, if that could be considered a choice. And although she knew it was unreasonable, Elizabeth was even angry at Mr. Darcy for having been the source of the whole sorry episode to start with. Why did he have to give her a letter at all? Hadn't proposing to her, and being turned down, been awkward enough for him? Charlotte had said the letter was evidence of his continued affection for her, but remembering the look on his face when he gave it to her, she knew the motive on his part had been injured pride. He had to have the last word, the satisfaction of proving her wrong.

From Lady Catherine's behavior at the end of their conversation, she thought it likely that her ladyship would not be long behind her in traveling to town. No doubt she would speak to her nephew about the letter, and Elizabeth distracted herself by imagining how _that_ conversation would go. If she had been harsh with Elizabeth, what would she be like with Darcy? Would she be imperious and demanding, reminding him of his duty to his family? Or perhaps she would be sympathetic and attempt to comfort him for having been tricked by someone so far beneath him. If Elizabeth could pick, she would choose for Darcy to receive as many angry insults as she herself had experienced at her ladyship's hands. The thought made her smile grimly and wish that she might be present for such a conversation.

The uneventful trip was completed later that afternoon, and Lady Catherine's driver unceremoniously handed her out on the doorstep of her uncle's house on Gracechurch Street. While she rapped on the door and hoped someone would be at home to receive her, her luggage was likewise deposited next to her with a minimum of care, and then the coach pulled away. It was just rounding the corner and disappearing from view when her knocking was answered by her aunt's housekeeper, who loudly exclaimed, "Bless me, it's Miss Elizabeth! Your aunt will be so happy to see you!" and at once called for her things to be brought in. Elizabeth thanked her as she handed over her outer garments, then asked for her aunt and sister.

Jane and Mrs. Gardiner exclaimed in delight when they saw her. They were curious about her sudden appearance, but not alarmed, and Elizabeth told them that Lady Catherine had insisted on Elizabeth traveling in her own coach rather than traveling post, and that the change in plans had therefore slightly changed the date of her return to town. But she knew that the real circumstances of her departure could not be kept secret for long. She waited merely for an opportune time to share her story.

At night, when the Gardiner children had been sent to the nursery and the family was in relative privacy, she opened her heart to Jane and her aunt. She started, logically enough, with Darcy's proposal, stating that he had unexpectedly made an offer, and that she had declined. Both ladies were understandably surprised and insatiably curious.

Jane's reaction was as predictable as it was kind. "I am sorry that you do not return his affection, Lizzie, but I am not surprised that he would fall in love with you. I only hope he was not hurt too badly by your refusal."

"What did you tell him was the reason for your refusal?" her aunt asked, looking at her closely. "Surely he asked you."

Elizabeth carefully began what she had mentally rehearsed, avoiding all mention of Bingley.

"At first I told him nothing. I simply thanked him for the honor of his attentions and regretted that I must say no. I had hoped that would be the end of it, but when he pressed me to know why, I did not see that I had much choice but to answer truthfully."

"Oh, Lizzie, not too truthfully, I hope?" her aunt asked. "I know how much you dislike him."

"It was very truthful, I am afraid. You did not hear how he made his proposal! He said that he had to overcome his objections to my family and my lack of fortune in order to make me an offer, but that he hoped I would nevertheless accept him. I only answered him in kind."

"What exactly did you say?" Jane asked, eyes wide.

"I do not recall my exact words," Elizabeth answered, hedging a little in order to avoid the most difficult topic, "But I did tell him that I knew all about his interference with Wickham."

Jane's mouth made a silent circle of astonishment. Both women stared at her. Finally Mrs. Gardiner said, with a hint of reproof, "I do not think that was well done, Lizzie."

"Perhaps not," Elizabeth admitted. "He grew very angry. He accused me of taking an unusual amount of interest in Wickham's affairs, and the conversation became worse from there. I admit it, I lost my temper entirely. By the time we were done, I had listed his pride, his haughty manners, his conceit, and several other faulty character traits which I cannot now recall as my objections to marrying him. I am afraid I left out nothing at all."

"You must have been terribly provoked, to say so many things." Jane spoke comfortingly. "But what a proposal!"

"And did he not defend himself at all?" Mrs. Gardiner asked. "Had he nothing to say to all of this?"

"I am afraid you will not believe what I have to tell you next." She told them of the remarkable letter Darcy had given her, which of course led into a lengthy discussion of Wickham's deceptions. From there Elizabeth described the loss of the first page of the letter, and the subsequent conversation with Lady Catherine.

"Oh Lizzie! And you said not a word of this to us all day!" exclaimed Jane. "Were you not terribly upset, to be so accused and humiliated, and then sent away, when you hadn't done anything wrong?"

"I was upset, for a time, but I am starting to laugh about it now," Elizabeth told her. "I can at least be grateful to Lady Catherine for giving me a memorable farewell! But I do wish that I had kept my temper better with her, for it was not a fair position for Charlotte to be in at all. I ought not to have added to her discomfort. But the whole thing is so absurd! Mr. Darcy proposes to me, I turn him down, and Lady Catherine will not believe her when I tell her I do not wish to marry him! A comedic opera could not be more entertaining."

"You falsely accused an honest man, Elizabeth, and there is nothing humorous in that," her aunt reminded her, in tones that were kinder than the words would suggest.

"I know I did," Elizabeth answered, aggravated. "And of course I would take those words back if I could. But I cannot. It isn't possible to write him a letter, of course, and I doubt we will ever meet each other in company again. We do not move in the same circles."

"You may be wrong about not meeting him again. I believe he may hold more affection for you than you realize. After all, why take such a chance as writing you a letter to explain himself, when he knew your opinion of him already? Why expose himself that way? He must have wanted to change your opinion, rather strongly."

"Charlotte said the same thing, but I cannot agree. His letter specifically said he was not renewing his addresses, and the tone of it is all anger and injured dignity. He had not the least idea of winning my affections."

"You said that in his proposal he spoke of objections he had to overcome, in order to make you an offer. But did he ever speak of his affection for you?" asked Jane.

"He did." Elizabeth paused as she remembered Darcy's demeanor when he had first approached her and said that he admired and loved her. To be so regarded without even knowing it was, after all, a pleasing thing, and the memory warmed her slightly. "I confess, it all happened so quickly, and I was so surprised, beyond surprised, that I was simply trying to absorb everything as he said it."

"And then he listed all of his objections?"

"All of them. He almost seemed to enjoy reciting them, to have no concept how insulting he was!"

"Perhaps he was trying to convince you of the strength of his attachment," her aunt suggested.

"He went about it a strange way, then."

"Not everyone has the talent of speaking their feelings so fluently," Jane said in her gentle way. "It appears to me that it is possible that Mr. Darcy had a real attachment to you, and simply did not know how to bring his suit in a way that would gain your favor. We can assume he has never been in such a position before. Imagine his disappointment afterwards."

"And was it his lack of speaking ability that made him offend half the neighborhood last autumn, by slighting his acquaintances, refusing to dance at an assembly, and in general not exerting himself to be at all amiable?"

"Not everyone has the same temperament, Lizzie," her sister responded. "There are many who do not find themselves at ease in company. Perhaps he is one of them."

"We might know this better, if we could see him at least try to be sociable, but he did not try at all. You know he did not. And he was comfortable enough in company to insult me. Not even you can defend him there."

Mrs. Gardiner raised a hand as if to stop their disagreement. "I am more concerned about Mr. Darcy's letter than about the man himself. It was a rather bold step for him to take. I believe, as you said, that Lady Catherine would like to forget the whole incident ever occurred, but the truth is that we do not know who saw the letter before she received it. She said a servant gave it to her, did she not?"

"Yes, after seeing my name on the page."

"And we do not know which servant it was? Though I suppose, even if we did know, there is nothing we could do to ensure their silence."

"I am sure Lady Catherine has made quite certain that they know the consequences of spreading any gossip, and Rosings is a reasonable distance from Hertfordshire. If there is any talk, which I doubt, it will die away quickly enough."

Her aunt seemed satisfied on this point, but there were still many questions to be asked and answered, and the whole affair to be discussed at great length. Half the night was spent in conversation, and the household arose rather later than usual the next morning.

For the next week Jane and Elizabeth accompanied their aunt, and sometimes their uncle, on various outings around town. They spent several leisurely afternoons shopping in fine districts, looking over wares that were not readily available in Meryton and occasionally making a small purchase. Mornings were spent in giving and receiving calls from Mrs. Gardiner's friends and in taking the younger Gardiner children to the park to run freely, to feed the swans that were sometimes in residence, and to try their hand at flying kites and other activities. It was on one of these excursions to the park that Elizabeth unexpectedly saw Darcy again.

The oldest Gardiner child, Robert, had grown bored with feeding the swans and was anxious to make his way to the top of the small hill nearby in order to fly his kite again. It was a windy day, with a chill that made the ladies shiver slightly even in their coats, but it did not deter Robert at all. He was determined to take advantage of the breeze that had not been present all week. Jane did not enjoy being active, and Mrs. Gardiner wanted to stay close to the younger children, so Elizabeth volunteered to go with him, promising to keep him within view at all times. Robert assumed his mother's consent before hearing it and ran off with a loud yell of excitement. With an apologetic look at her aunt, who smiled back, Elizabeth followed him up the hill.

He reached the top before she did and was unreeling his string when she caught up. She held the kite for him while he began to untangle knots in the line, chattering happily the whole time. She took the opportunity to look around her. Many people were taking advantage of the fair spring weather to be outside, and there were small groups of all ages on foot, on horseback, and in carriages in every direction. While she was idly observing all this, her eye was caught by a fine male figure on a bay horse a hundred yards or more away from her.

She recognized Darcy at once by his outline; even at a distance he had a striking form. He was putting his horse through its paces, apparently, changing the animal's lead and posting while the horse trotted. What an unfortunate coincidence, that he should be so nearby at just the time that she and her party arrived in the park! But then it was a popular place, and many people of quality frequented it every day. Perhaps it was not as surprising as she had first thought.

Although Elizabeth had no way of knowing this, her speculations about Darcy were matched by Darcy's speculations about her. He had been intensely curious about her ever since the startling visit from his aunt, the day Elizabeth reached London.

The interview with Lady Catherine had been excruciating, coming on the heels of his disappointed hopes and Elizabeth's harsh words towards him. His aunt possessed a sharp memory that focused intently on whatever gave her offense, and in her mind, Elizabeth had been highly offensive. She repeated Elizabeth's words and expressions with remarkable energy as she listed for Darcy all the reasons why Miss Bennet was in no way a suitable match for him.

From the time of his return to London until his aunt arrived, Darcy had remained in his town house, tending to business affairs with a ferocity born of righteous indignation. Elizabeth, in his mind, was wrong in everything she thought about him, and his letter, if she had read it, would certainly convince her of that. His actions towards Bingley were justified, and his conduct regarding Wickham, irreproachable. And although she had as much as called him ungentlemanly, he knew better. His every action was guided by the principles set down by his parents, especially his father, distinguished by scrupulous honesty, charity towards the poor, and fair dealings with all, regardless of their station in life. He could do nothing less. He was a gentleman by birth, but he was even more of a gentleman by conduct. It was only Elizabeth's anger regarding Jane, and her deception by Wickham, that spurred her to say otherwise.

By now, having possessed his letter for several days, she would have seen the error of her words. No doubt she was regretting her hasty response to him. And although he knew he was unlikely to ever see her again, the thought gave him a small measure of satisfaction.

Therefore when his aunt told him that Elizabeth had dropped a page of the letter in Rosings park, trying to entrap him into marriage, he had a wild moment when he let himself hope that it might be true, that she might have changed her mind. But when she repeated Elizabeth's assertion that there were few men she would want to marry less than Darcy, he felt that hope die. He knew Elizabeth was too frank to say anything but what she truly thought—a character trait he cultivated in himself, and admired in her. Clearly she had read his letter, which was of some comfort, for he had counted on the fact that she would. Her natural curiosity, another trait he admired, would not allow her to simply discard it. But she still thought ill of him, and felt it strongly enough to tell his aunt so in the strongest possible terms.

Lady Catherine was a minor irritant to Darcy. She had spoken for years of his marrying Anne, and for years he had put her off, but she was blessed with a prodigious talent for not hearing what did not please her. He was almost glad that she knew he had made an offer to someone else. Perhaps now she would give up her delusions and allow Anne some freedom, in the hopes of finding a suitable match outside the family circle. And he himself would likewise move on from this disappointment, and no doubt find someone more suitable, and more receptive to him, to marry.

And yet, and yet . . . Elizabeth was in town. He stared at nothing in particular as he sat at the desk in his study, absent mindedly drumming his fingers on the tabletop. She was in Cheapside, an area he did not frequent, but had to pass through on occasion. He knew the location from Miss Bingley. He could, if he so desired, pass by her aunt and uncle's house carefully, doing his best not to be observed, and perhaps catch a glimpse of her somewhere. He owed her a debt of honor, did he not? His aunt's behavior in sending her away had been unforgivable, and it would only be right to beg pardon on her behalf. He had no desire to meet Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, but by observing Elizabeth's daily patterns, he might determine a way to approach her privately one more time and make apologies in place of Lady Catherine.

Cheapside was far from the worst place in London, but it was nothing like the fashionable area around Darcy house either. If he saw her at ease in such surroundings, with such a close relationship with her relatives in trade, the same relatives he would be least desirous of including in his family circle, perhaps he would be able to convince himself how very unsuitable her low connections made her as a potential bride. And then, after speaking to her one last time, he would give her up forever.

Darcy was not facing directly towards Elizabeth, nor directly away. She did not think he would see her unless he thought to turn and look in just her direction at just that moment, and so she was safe to cautiously observe from a distance without undue fear of being detected. She wondered, again, at the odds of seeing Darcy by chance in such a large town as London. Surely it was nothing more than an unusual coincidence? He did not seem to be aware of her at all.

"Cousin Elizabeth, you must run with it!" Robert's voice broke into her thoughts. Hearing his childish command she immediately laughed and ran a little ways away from him, holding the kite up as she went. She felt the wind at her back, lifting the kite in her outstretched hand, but when she let it go it fell helplessly to the ground.

"You didn't run fast enough!" her cousin scolded her as he came jogging up, his face screwed up in disappointment.

Elizabeth smiled. "Perhaps not. I do not have your legs, after all. This time, let me hold the string and you run with it, and when it is going well I will hand it to you."

He looked at her doubtfully. "All right, but you mustn't let go of the string!" They switched places and Elizabeth backed up several paces to give him room to run. With a little more effort and several short runs by her cousin, the kite lifted off and made its flight high overhead. Elizabeth handed over the spool of thread to Robert and let him run with it, while she watched, as the kite fought manfully against its restraint.

When she thought to look down the hill towards Darcy again, she saw with a start of surprise that Darcy's horse had stopped and Darcy was looking in her general direction. But as she paused to consider this, he faced forward again and urged his mount onward.

She was not sure about that look, for she had caught only the very end of it. His eyes might have been on her for just a moment, but at such a distance it was impossible to be certain. He could have been watching her, or else he might have been observing any number of other people in her immediate vicinity. Whatever he had been doing, or looking at, was lost as he moved away and went behind a grove of trees. A few minutes later, Elizabeth rejoined her aunt, and although she looked about her carefully, they continued their excursion with no further sightings of Darcy.

Elizabeth chose to say nothing of this sighting to her aunt or to Jane, for what was there to tell? She had seen Darcy by chance in the park, but he might not have seen her. And if he had seen her, it made no difference. He had not approached her or even acknowledged her in any way. She did not want to start another round of endless speculation about Darcy and his quarrelsome aunt, and so she thought the subject best left alone.

The following morning would be her last in town but one before returning to Hertfordshire. Elizabeth had no great desire to go kite flying with her cousin again, but Robert begged her to accompany him while he went fishing instead. "Mama will never take me, and papa has been too busy. If you don't take me I won't be able to show papa that I can catch as many fish as he can."

"I have to pack for tomorrow," Elizabeth began doubtfully, but Mrs. Gardiner waved her objection away.

"The maids can do that for you, you need not worry. It would be a great help if you could take Robert outside and let him use up some of that boundless energy. He is right, I don't generally take him fishing, but he would so enjoy it if he could catch something for dinner with you."

"You will be my good luck!" Robert proclaimed, tugging on her hand and smiling so infectiously that Elizabeth gladly gave in. He collected his gear, Elizabeth collected her outdoor clothes, and the two of them made their way to the park.

Robert kept up a steady stream of chatter as they walked, showing Elizabeth the fishing gear he had been given by Mr. Gardiner, at a size more appropriate for a child than an adult, and speaking eagerly of the ideal casting spot he had found on a previous excursion. They stayed close together at first, making their way down several branching paths, until Robert proclaimed that they had reached the spot he liked best. Elizabeth let him approach the bank of the stream with his rod in hand while she stood back, remembering how her young cousin could sometimes wave the rod too close to her face when he was excited. She was content to stay a little distance away and call encouraging comments to him while he attacked the task with all the seriousness possible in a ten year old boy.

Tomorrow she would return to Hertfordshire, and she faced the prospect with mixed feelings. Certainly it would be good to see her family again, and to be once more in familiar surroundings and find out all the news. She had, after all, been gone for two months, and no doubt a great many things had happened in her absence. But she also felt a sense of unease. Nothing had been resolved between Jane and Bingley, unless one were to count a complete cessation of interest on his part as a resolution. Darcy's proposal to her was still fresh in her mind, but she would not feel able to share it with anyone at home besides Jane, who knew it already. And once back in Hertfordshire, she knew very well that they were not likely to see either Darcy or Bingley ever again.

It was still a matter of curiosity to her that Darcy had appeared in the park yesterday morning, at the same time she was there, and within such a short distance. If it was merely an accident, and he had no desire to approach her, then the odds had been highly against such a chance occurrence. But then he could not have known that she would be in the park at that time, and he had not acknowledged her in any way, and so accident it must have been.

She had stood for several minutes, watching Robert and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face, when she heard a footstep and sensed a presence behind her, and at no great distance. Somehow she knew, without turning, who it would be. It felt more like an inevitability than a surprise when she heard his deep voice as he approached. "A good morning to you, Miss Bennet," he said as he came alongside her. His tone gave no emotion away.

"Good morning, Mr. Darcy." She turned, faced him, and curtsied in response to his bow, scarcely knowing where to look. She would rather be almost anywhere at this moment than in his presence. But if he was determined to speak to her, and could give every impression of being cool and calm, she would match him point for point. She strongly suspected that her face was turning color again, and therefore she would not meet his eyes and give him the satisfaction of seeing her uneasiness. She turned away to face her young charge again. The silence stretched between them for several seconds, and she determined that he must be the one to break it.

"It is an unexpected pleasure to meet you here today," he finally said, his voice heavy with formality. "May I have the honor of joining you for a few minutes?"

"I have no objection," she answered, uncomfortably remembering the last time she had been in his presence. The truth was that she would much rather not be around Darcy at all, but she felt that she owed him an apology, and this might be her only chance to make it. Then too, she was curious why he had chosen to seek her out. Perhaps the almost-meeting in the park yesterday had not been as coincidental as she had thought, and yet how could he have known she would be there? She could not resolve this to her satisfaction.

Darcy inquired about her family's health, and she answered in the usual way. Then she paused. "I believe I may have seen you here yesterday, when my aunt and sister and I brought the children to feed the swans."

"Yes. I come here often, when I am in town. It is the only place where I can ride as I like in the morning." After a moment he added, "And, I must confess, I saw you as well."

She did not pretend to be surprised. "It is quite a coincidence, then, that you would also happen to be in the park this morning, and that I should see you again."

"It is no coincidence. I was waiting for a chance to speak with you privately, and hoped that you would be here today."

Elizabeth, startled by such directness, looked directly at him for the first time. "Why should you seek out my company? I would think, after the way we parted, that you would not wish to ever see me again."

Darcy's lips thinned. "I am obligated to offer you an apology."

"An apology, sir?"

"I understand that Lady Catherine called on you at the parsonage shortly before you left Kent."

"We were indeed honored by your aunt's presence," Elizabeth said archly. "Did she tell you about it herself, or were you informed by some other source?"

"She called on me not long, I imagine, after you arrived in town. You can certainly have no doubt as to the substance of our conversation."

"Then perhaps I should apologize to you," she said. "It was my carelessness, after all, that allowed her to be in possession of your letter."

"The fault is mine, and so the apology is as well," he answered stiffly. "No letter could have been found had I not written you one in the first place. Besides this, I know my aunt's manners, her way of conducting herself when she is agitated, and I am certain, from what she repeated to me, that your conversation with her was not pleasant. And to send you away in such a manner was ill-bred at best."

"I hold nothing against your aunt. Seen from her perspective, it is perhaps not so surprising that she reached the conclusions she did."

"Her thoughts, I assure you, were not my own, and I have told her that she misjudged you."

"I thank you," Elizabeth answered, a little surprised that he would defend her to his aunt. "She was reluctant to believe that my motives were not mercenary."

"She was not immediately willing to accept my assurances, either, but I did my best. I know you did not plan for that page to be found. The last thing you would wish is to be forced into a marriage with me." His tone was unexpectedly bitter, and Elizabeth winced at the memory of some of the things she had said. She gathered her courage.

"Mr. Darcy, before you say anything else, I find that I must apologize to you as well." Her face flushed deeper than it had yet done, and she kept her eyes focused on his cravat, unwilling to meet his gaze. She took a deep breath, determined to keep her composure. "I made serious accusations against your character without knowing all the facts, and without giving you a chance to explain yourself. After reading your letter, I came to be ashamed of what I said to you in regards to Wickham. Please accept my sincerest apologies."

There was a brief pause while he considered this, and then he looked at her carefully. "Is it only your words in regards to Wickham that you regret? The rest of what you said, does that still stand?"

"I have not changed my mind regarding your offer," Elizabeth said carefully, thinking of Jane. Her emotions were very different in this interview than in the first time they had held it. She still had no wish to marry him, but she _would_ control herself, she thought, and not lash out at him again.

His face flushed. "I was speaking not of my proposal, but of your assessment of my manners and character, which you found ungentlemanly in every way."

Elizabeth wrestled with herself. While she had no wish to hurt him again, she would not pretend that her opinion of him had completely changed. Even in this short exchange, his manners were nearly as haughty as ever. "Mr. Darcy, if you wished to speak to me again, there was no need to wait until you could see me in the park. Miss Bingley knows where my aunt and uncle live, and you could have called on me at their home."

"I have not often been in Cheapside." His mouth curled in distaste, and Elizabeth felt her annoyance rising.

"I had never been to Hunsford before this year, and yet I went there easily enough, to be with my friend. To be able to spend time with her was worth the little effort that it took."

"Hunsford, at least, would feel familiar to you," he countered. "The parsonage is not so very different from Longbourn. But Cheapside would represent a significant change for me, and not an altogether pleasant one."

Elizabeth tossed her head angrily. "Mr. Darcy, I do not believe this is a safe topic of conversation for us. We each said what we had to say while we were at Hunsford, and it is perhaps best to conclude that we each misunderstood the other, and leave it at that. Walking the same path tends to lead people to the same place, and in our case, the destination was unpleasant enough the first time."

His reaction to this was to set his face grimly and look straight ahead, with his hands held at his back. His expression was darker than she had ever seen it. "As you wish."

At that moment, Robert returned to Elizabeth's side, "The fish aren't biting here. May we go down to that path over there, the one on the other side of the stream?"

"Certainly, if you are so convinced that the fish on that side will be more obliging, then we will go to that spot next."

Robert noticed Darcy then and looked between the two of them curiously. "Are you a friend of cousin Elizabeth's?" he asked in his childish, innocent way.

"He is merely an acquaintance," Elizabeth answered before Darcy could respond. She added, looking at Darcy pointedly, "No friend of mine would ever have been embarrassed to meet the members of my family who are least likely to give offense." She saw that her comment hit its mark. "Mr. Darcy, if you will excuse me, young master Gardiner and I have a pressing engagement with what we hope will be our meal this evening. I trust you do not wish to accompany us?"

"Not at all." His voice was as condescending as she had ever heard it."I have been down that path before, and as you say, the ending is unpleasant. I have no desire to see it again. I will bid you good day." He inclined his head formally.

Elizabeth made no such gesture in response, but, truly irritated, turned without a word and followed Robert as he led her towards the footpath that would take them across the stream. It was clear to her that her aunt, Jane and Charlotte had all been wrong. Whatever affection Darcy may have held for her had disappeared in the face of his wounded pride.

It took two or three minutes to reach the spot Robert had next in mind. When they had used the nearby footbridge to cross the stream and traveled along its length a hundred feet or so, Elizabeth glanced back over the water to the place where she had stood with Darcy. She saw, to her surprise, that he had not moved. He was watching her with a brooding expression that did not change when she caught his eye. She looked away again to see where Robert was, and when she looked back, Darcy was gone as quickly as he had come.

"Who was that man?" Robert asked her, his curiosity still aroused. "He was not very nice."

"Never mind, we shall never see him again," Elizabeth answered, and firmly believed it.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: Turns out that writing angst is kind of fun after all! I have tried to make this scenario as realistic as possible, although it is difficult for us to comprehend in our day and time. Thank you so much for your kind reviews and comments. Happy reading! -Elaine Owen**

**Chapter Four**

"There is a Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy come to call on Mr, Gardiner," the footman announced at precisely eleven o'clock the next morning in the parlor at 23 Gracechurch street, causing Elizabeth to stare at him in shock.

Mr. Gardiner took the card proffered by the footman while Jane and Mrs. Gardiner looked at Elizabeth in surprise. Elizabeth looked back at them with what could only be described as boundless exasperation. "Whatever can that man want with me this time?" she asked spiritedly, laying aside the note she was writing, and glad that she had already told her family about her meeting with Mr. Darcy the day before.

"Is he alone? Is there no one with him?" Jane asked the footman, and hearing the response that the gentleman was by himself, her face fell visibly. Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth exchanged glances.

"Quite a proper card, I should say," Mr. Gardiner commented, looking at it carefully. "This can only be a compliment to you, Lizzie. There is no reason he should seek out my acquaintance, and even less reason to do so in Cheapside."

"It is a compliment I wish he would bestow elsewhere," said Elizabeth crossly, thinking of Anne de Bourgh. "He bestows it upon me most unwillingly. I am not a grateful recipient."

"He does seem determined, does he not?" Mr. Gardiner's voice held reluctant admiration. "He proposed at Rosings and you turned him down, and then you quarreled in the park yesterday, yet here he is again. A most determined suitor, it appears to me."

"That is not how he would describe himself, I am sure. He only spoke to me yesterday to apologize for his aunt. He is not my suitor."

"My dear, I am certain that Mr. Darcy did not come all the way to Cheapside out of a burning desire to become better acquainted with _me_."

"Then why did he ask for you at all?"

"He is being a gentleman. He does not wish to call upon you in this house without first making my acquaintance, which shows an admirable respect for proper behavior. The question is, what do you wish me to do about it?"

"Nothing. I want nothing to do with him at all."

"Lizzie," her aunt said, looking at her seriously, "perhaps you should take your time to consider your response a little. Does it mean nothing to you that Mr. Darcy would lower himself enough to come to our home, that he would voluntarily seek out an acquaintance with your uncle? What could he mean by it, other than to demonstrate his interest in you?"

"Perhaps he is bored, and has discovered other relatives for which to apologize."

"This is not a situation to laugh at," her uncle said, preparing to rise from his chair. "I cannot leave him standing in our entry without some explanation, nor would I wish to do so. I have heard so much about him, that to turn him away without meeting him would be highly disappointing. I will go and meet with him in my study, unless you object. Do not worry, Lizzie, we will not make you speak to him if you do not want to, and perhaps he only comes on some business matter after all. I shall return shortly to tell you what I find." He left the room.

"He is _not_ come on business," Elizabeth said with certainty, preparing to wait for her uncle's return. "There is no possible business he could have with my uncle. I believe he comes wishing to give as much trouble as possible. Another three hours and Jane and I should have been gone. At the very least he will make us delay leaving for Longbourn."

"There is no hurry to leave," her aunt answered soothingly. "As you know, the coach will not be here until after noon, and your things are mostly packed already. If your uncle sends him away, it will make no difference in your travel."

How relieved Elizabeth was now that she had chosen to speak to her family about Darcy yesterday! Explanations at this point would have been awkward and time consuming. But since Mr. Gardiner was already familiar with her history with the man, he would speak to Darcy on her behalf, determine what he wanted, and deal with him directly. She need not be involved at all.

Her eyes fell on Jane's serene face, who was sitting across from her and writing a final farewell note to one of Mrs. Gardiner's friends, expressing gratitude for making her acquaintance and a desire to see her again one day. Only one who knew Jane well would recognize the tension in her slightly furrowed brow, the light tapping of one foot, carefully concealed under her dress, and her frequent glances at the door of the room through which Mr. Gardiner would come. She was nearly as curious as Elizabeth herself. Catching Elizabeth's eye, she smiled at her reassuringly.

It was not fair, Elizabeth thought for the thousandth time, that the person who would never lift a finger to take anything someone else wanted, the sweetest heart in the world, should be so callously hurt by a man who had believed her to be indifferent to his friend. Why could Darcy not have left well enough alone? If he had not interfered, along with Bingley's sisters, Jane by now would most likely have been engaged to Bingley and well on her way to being as happily settled as she deserved. Instead, having had her hopes briefly raised by Darcy calling on her sister, Jane would quietly begin to grieve all over again. Yet even now, she sought to support Elizabeth, and said nothing of her own disappointment.

"Jane, you spoken so little of your own feelings during all of this, I am afraid I have quite neglected you. Are you so upset that Mr. Bingley did not come with Mr. Darcy?"

"I will own feeling a little disappointment," Jane answered reluctantly, avoiding Elizabeth's eyes by looking at the letter in her hand. "But I should not be disappointed at all. Mr. Bingley has known of my presence in town for some time. Had he so desired, he could have called on me long ago. But he gave me no reason to think he held me in any particular regard, and I only cause my own regrets when I let myself think about him."

"Jane, if anyone else had received the attentions from a suitor that you received from Mr. Bingley, they would have ordered their wedding clothes already. He gave you every reason to think he held affection for you."

"You are too generous," Jane told her, smiling with an effort. "You see what you wish to see. If Mr. Bingley really felt anything for me, his sisters would not have been able to discourage him as you suspect them of doing, nor Mr. Darcy either."

"I suspect his sisters of more than discouraging him. I suspect they never told him you were here at all."

"But Mr. Darcy knows, does he not? Surely he would not have kept such information back from Mr. Bingley? And so Mr. Bingley must be the one who has chosen not to continue the acquaintance."

Elizabeth realized she had blundered into the area she most wanted to avoid with Jane. Darcy _had_ interfered in Bingley's affairs, according to his own account, but had not Bingley allowed him to do so? Why could he not be more his own man?

It was possible, she decided, more than possible, to be too affable, too agreeable to the designs of others. Bingley's own lack of initiative had contributed to his separation from Jane, and she would not stir her sister's emotions any more by relating how Darcy was involved. She herself would strongly resent anyone who attempted to manage her life to such a degree, and so would Darcy, she knew. But Bingley had the sort of disposition that would allow others to make his decisions for him. It was an odd moment to realize that she and Darcy shared a trait in common.

She became aware that Jane was looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer to her question, and she hastily answered, "I am sure that Mr. Bingley would have called on you, if he had been made aware of your presence in town."

Jane fell back on her letter with no further comment, but Elizabeth noticed Mrs. Gardiner's shrewd glance in her direction, though she said nothing.

It had been several minutes since Mr. Gardiner had left the room, and as of yet there was no sign of him coming back. Mrs. Gardiner took up a hat that she planned to make over, turning it over in her hands as she examined the ribbon in the morning light coming in through the window. Jane read her short note over again several times, though Elizabeth was sure that, if she asked, Jane could have told her but little of what it contained. Elizabeth did not even pretend to be interested in anything, but stood restlessly by the window, staring out at the steady stream of carriages and foot traffic that went by every minute.

After twenty minutes, desperate to relieve the suspense, Elizabeth was on the point of leaving the room and attempting to eavesdrop on her uncle's conference with Darcy, no matter what her aunt might say to such a drastic action, when Mr. Gardiner stepped gravely into the room and looked at her. His face was so serious that for a moment, she thought he bore a great resemblance to Darcy. But instead of speaking to Elizabeth, he first addressed his wife. "My dear, if you and Jane would be so good as to check on the children upstairs, I would like to speak to Elizabeth."

Mrs. Gardiner looked at him in surprise for a moment, opened her mouth as if to say something, and then thought better of it. Instead it was Jane who asked the obvious question. "What does Mr. Darcy want with Elizabeth, uncle?"

"That is best addressed between Darcy and your sister," Mr. Gardiner replied. "All I will say is that he wishes to speak to her alone, and I have given him my permission to do so."

"But I do not give mine!" Elizabeth cried. "I see no reason why I should have to speak to him again. Could you not send him away?"

"Elizabeth, I believe you will need to hear what he has to say."

"Please, uncle, do not make me do this," Elizabeth began as her aunt and sister left the room, but Mr. Gardiner motioned for her to be quiet. His eyes held a somber expression, but he tried to smile in reassurance as he waited for the others to be out of earshot.

"Elizabeth, I was prepared, from your description, to meet a haughty and unkind gentleman this morning. I was prepared to send him away without a second's thought, knowing your extreme dislike of the man. But he approached me with the most genteel manners you can imagine, and asked me, with polite humility, to be allowed to speak to you on a matter of great importance. He showed nothing but decorum and good breeding, and I could not send him away without agreeing to hear his information."

Elizabeth nearly stared at her uncle. She could scarcely believe her ears. "And what information might that be, uncle?"

"I will not speak on his behalf, but I believe that you should listen to what he has to say. Allow him to say his piece, consider carefully before you answer, and remember that this involves not just you, but your whole family." Before she could protest the implications of such a statement, he turned and disappeared, saying as he went that Darcy would be shown into the room.

She fought down a feeling of indignation before she resumed her previous seat. It would be best, she thought, not to argue with her uncle. She would do as he said and then send Darcy on his way. If Darcy was determined to make her an offer yet again, as she suspected, he must have an unusual fondness for being rejected. She would certainly not disappoint him.

In only a minute or two he appeared in the doorway, hesitating as he was announced, and then, making his customary bow, said, "Good day, Miss Bennet." She could read nothing from his face beyond a general air of discomfort, an attitude she was not used to seeing in him. Her curiosity rose.

She stood, curtsied, and resumed her seat without speaking. He took the chair directly across from her and looked at her earnestly, but seemed at a loss for words. After several false starts he finally said, "I suppose I should ask after the health of your aunt and uncle, but having just met your uncle, it would seem unnecessary."

"But it is the custom to enquire after the health of one's relatives," she assured him, "and so it is a convention we should all obey."

"Very well then, please allow me to ask after the health of your sister, at least. Is she still in town?"

"She is very well, I thank you. She is indeed here, but not for long. Jane and I are planning on returning to Longbourn this afternoon."

"Then I am glad that I came when I did," he answered, still looking uncomfortable. He rose and strode across the room, his agitation evident in his quick step and the way he wrung his hat in his hands. He paused to look out the window at the view she had just seen, then turned and briefly surveyed the whole room in which they now were. "This is a fine house, much better than I had expected to see. One would not immediately realize that we are in Cheapside."

"I am glad that my uncle's house meets with your approval, Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth answered, nettled by the patronizing tone.

"Forgive me, I meant no offense," he answered as he turned towards her, appearing to realize his error. "Your uncle is a very fine gentleman, and I am sure your aunt must be just as pleasing as he is," he added a moment later.

Elizabeth supposed this was his idea of paying her a compliment. "Mr. Darcy, I do not know what you have come to say, but as I said before, my sister and I are returning to Longbourn today, and there are preparations yet to complete. I appreciate the compliment paid by your coming to Cheapside, but I must inform you that our conversation today cannot be long."

He observed her silently for a moment while she looked coolly back at him. It occurred to her that his face, for the first time since she had known him, did not bear the haughty expression she had come to know so well. Instead his expression was softer, touched with an openness that made his features more appealing. But only for a moment. In a flash, his old expression was back.

He approached her and sat in the same seat again.

"If you so desire," he said in a more straightforward tone, "then I will come to the point of my visit at once. Miss Bennet, I received information of a disturbing nature yesterday afternoon, not long after leaving you in the park. I regret that I must share this information with you. It is not what I wish at all. Nevertheless, it is my responsibility to inform you that there has been damaging gossip spread about us. Your reputation, in particular, is in immediate danger."

Elizabeth had not been expecting this, and she struggled for a moment to think what he could mean. Her mind flew, with sudden comprehension, to Lady Catherine and the once missing page of Darcy's letter. "Please explain."

"It is my aunt's doing," he began, then added after seeing her confused look, "Or rather, it is her own attempts to interfere that have had an unintended and undesirable effect." He paused, waiting for her reaction.

Though she had little desire to speak to Darcy at any length, this was a conversation she could not avoid. "Please go on."

"You must know, or at least suspect, that this involves the letter I gave you. Lady Catherine's manservant, Jenkins, is the one who recovered the missing page in the park that day. Not being proficient in reading, he gave it to a downstairs maid, Lucy, with whom he has been keeping company, and she read it for him. Knowing my aunt as well as he does, he took it to her at once. Lucy, being new to the household, was not entirely aware of your identity, and she was certainly unaware of the importance of what she had read. She had no compunction about sharing her information with the other household staff. She did so while Lady Catherine was reading the letter for the first time."

Elizabeth's heart sank. "Go on."

"Lady Catherine, of course, knew nothing about this at the time. She took the letter and kept it until she could call on you the next morning. Shortly after that, she was on her way to meet me here, and she remained in town three days before returning to Rosings. She found out about the gossip through her own maid later that night, and set out to deal with the household staff at once. You know her behavior with you, a gentlewoman. You can only imagine her behavior to ones who are truly so far beneath her station, and who have aroused her anger. There was a great deal of unfavorable reaction to her actions and comments."

Elizabeth closed her eyes, willing herself to believe this might be a nightmare, then opened them again to find Darcy's eyes on her intently. "How did you find all this out?" she finally asked.

"Jenkins brought me a letter from my aunt yesterday afternoon, in which she gave as much intelligence as she felt necessary in order for me to avoid the gossip. He himself filled in the parts that Lady Catherine did not relate, and I spent all yesterday afternoon and last evening developing what information I could."

"Is there any chance that Lucy could be convinced to keep the information to herself, that it could be kept contained to the servants alone?"

Darcy's voice took on an angry tone for the first time. "There is not the smallest chance. Lady Catherine has only made the situation worse by her behavior. She could have kept Lucy on, and promised her a better position, or at least threatened her with its loss, in return for her silence. But she dismissed her abruptly, without even a character reference. Lucy has no reason to be loyal to anyone at Rosings now."

Elizabeth stood and walked to the opposite side of the room, avoiding Darcy's gaze. "When you say my reputation is in danger, exactly what do you mean?"

"Surely you can imagine."

"On a point as serious as this, I prefer not to use my imagination. Please enlighten me."

"Miss Bennet, you are too honest to dissemble. Inasmuch as it is against propriety for an unmarried gentleman and an unmarried gentleman's daughter to exchange private correspondence, it is presumed that a prior relationship has existed, and that it continues to exist. The staff at Rosings, and probably at Hunsford as well, believes it is possible that you and I are engaged to be married."

"The staff at Hunsford already knows?"

"Do you imagine that they could not? After my aunt visited you, and then sent you away as quickly as she did, their guesses seemed to be confirmed. Her wish for me to marry my cousin is well known, and it was inevitable for the staff to draw their own conclusions."

"This is easily dealt with," Elizabeth spoke with a confidence she did not feel. "We will simply announce that there is no engagement, and in time, the letter will be forgotten."

"I wish it were that simple, but it is not. You know it is not. The question of an engagement must be resolved one way or another before any other gentleman can make an offer for you. And since an engagement is a matter of law, if one were to exist, it could not be easily dissolved. There would forever be a question about your status."

"Then I will write and tell Charlotte what has happened. She has the respect of her servants, and they will listen to whatever she says. If she tells them there is no engagement, they will listen to her."

"They may well believe that there is no engagement," he said carefully, "but then they might also say that there has been an arrangement of a different sort between us." Elizabeth looked at him resentfully. "Please, Miss Elizabeth, you must know that I am telling the truth."

With amazement, Elizabeth saw that he was in deadly earnest. He truly believed that her reputation might be irreparably damaged from that one page. It occurred to her that Darcy, with his greater experience in the world, might be telling more of the truth than she realized. Still, she protested.

"I cannot believe that it would be so bad! Certainly there are some who might look down on me because of this, but the world in general would be too sensible to join in. We must simply ignore the gossip, make no allowances for it whatsoever. Those who enjoy speaking maliciously of others will soon turn to a more interesting topic, and in time this will be forgotten. And besides this, Rosings is a fair distance from Hertfordshire, and my reputation will not suffer at all in my own neighborhood. As for Hunsford and Rosings, you can well imagine how long it will be before I will wish to return _there_."

"Rosings has ties to Meryton," Darcy responded heatedly, "and those ties go right through Lucas Lodge. Mrs. Collins brought some of her own servants with her when she married, and they have family in Meryton. There is no way to stop the spread of this talk; it is no doubt on your father's doorstep as we speak. All we can do now is try to prevent any damage, and there is only one certain way to do that."

Surely, Elizabeth thought, he was not suggesting the idea that was in her mind?

"Miss Bennet, I have come to offer you my hand again." At her gasp of shock, he stiffened, but continued to look at her steadily. "It was by my action that your reputation is now in danger. I should not have written you that letter, and since a public breach of such a propriety will materially lessen the chances of another man offering for you after this, I stand ready to make reparations. The responsibility is mine, and I will fulfill it."

Elizabeth was at least somewhat prepared for this proposal by the fact that she had heard something like it less than two weeks previous, but her astonishment was not much less this time. She paused for a few seconds to consider a response, collected herself, and then answered composedly.

"I thank you for your concern for my reputation, sir, but I have heard and seen nothing of this gossip as of yet. For the moment, at least, I believe my reputation is intact, and you have certainly lived up to your obligation as a gentleman. It can only be a relief to you to hear me say that I must decline your kind offer."

"This is not an offer, it is an obligation!" he burst out. "You can have little idea of the censure you will face, if this is not stopped. You can have no idea of the disdain society will show to you and your family, if they believe you have entered into an engagement, and not fulfilled it. It may not be apparent today, or tomorrow, but the longer the situation is allowed to stand, the more adverse will be the reaction you will all experience."

"This could not be your desire, sir!" she cried. "You could not wish to take a wife in such a way! And I prefer to think that you are exaggerating the danger."

Darcy stepped closer to her. "I assure you, it is no exaggeration."

"That is a chance I will gladly take!" she answered fiercely, but her own voice betrayed her. She felt herself trembling. The shock, the anger, the humiliation which she now felt were all becoming too much. She sat down abruptly. Darcy at once knelt next to her.

"Is there anything I can get you, to bring you present relief? A glass of wine—shall I call a servant for one?"

"No, I thank you, I do not think I wish to see anyone else at just this moment."

"Truly, you are very ill," he persisted, his tone now compassionate. "Allow me to go to one of the servants and procure a restorative at least. I can bring it to you myself. Or perhaps I can call your aunt?"

Elizabeth saw that he was in earnest. The look on his face was of genuine concern.

"If you would, please, find me a glass of wine, it might be very beneficial. I thank you for your consideration."

He left the room at once, and Elizabeth wondered how long it would take him to find what she had asked for. Certainly it would take several minutes, at least, and would give her time to absorb the shocking news he had brought, and to begin to decide what to do next.

Taking a deep breath, she forced her racing thoughts into a semblance of order, attempting to tease out the tangled threads of conflicting thoughts just as she would undo a knot in the string of little Robert's kite.

Was the danger to her reputation as serious as Darcy described? She weighed his statements in her mind with what she understood of the rules of society, trying to recall past instances of a similar nature with which she could make a comparison. She came up with little. Her exposure to society had mostly taken place in Hertfordshire, which was very different than town, and although the rules of both settings were the same, she believed they were sometimes applied very unevenly. But in her own limited experience, a relationship that was discovered to be occurring in secret was not looked on favorably.

Could she live this down? Would the damage to her reputation, to her prospects for marriage, be as lasting as Darcy described? Would it have the effect on her sisters and the rest of her family that he predicted it would? She had no way of knowing, but she did know that when disgrace fell on one daughter in a household, it fell on all the rest as well.

Marriage with Mr. Darcy was obviously out of the question. Besides her own feelings against him, it was manifestly apparent that he held no affection for her at all. This was little more than a business transaction to him. He had damaged her reputation, and he would make it right in the same way that one business owner might pay another for damages caused by a runaway horse and cart. If she had felt any kind of affection towards him, this arrangement might be acceptable, but to be nothing more than an obligation to him would be an intolerable situation. She could not accept it at all.

In a very few minutes Darcy re-entered the room, carrying a glass of wine which he carefully placed in her hand. She almost stared at him. She had not really thought he would lower himself so much as to perform the job of a servant. With a weak smile of thanks she accepted the glass and drank gratefully. Darcy, having taken a seat closer to her than the one he had been in before, waited with an anxious expression. "Are you well, Miss Elizabeth? Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No," she answered, drawing a breath and beginning to feel somewhat calmer. "I believe I can now give you an answer, Mr. Darcy, although it may not be an answer you will appreciate. You are more familiar with how society operates than I am. You, with your greater experience and exposure to the world, may be entirely correct in saying that marriage is the only way to protect ourselves and our families in this situation. But such a drastic step is too much for me. You and I are not likely to make a congenial couple, and I will not commit to such a permanent step out of nothing more than fear of what may happen in an unknown future. You have shown every consideration by coming here and making such a generous offer, but I must decline at this time."

"Society can be very cruel," he answered. "Marrying me is likely to be your only option."

"I would rather be disdained by society than despised by my own husband!" she answered passionately. "I would rather be censured by strangers than to know that my own family, so far beneath your station, would never be welcome in any home I would share with you."

"I have already considered that," he answered. His voice gentled. "I would not separate you from your family. If you must have them visit occasionally, I would accept that as the price of my own folly. They would be welcome at Pemberley, if necessary. It is the least I could do."

"You are all kindness," Elizabeth answered firmly, wondering if he could even hear the condescension in his own voice. "Still, I believe my answer must stand."

Darcy heard her words with a more somber expression than she had expected. She had feared he might become angry again, but instead he said gravely, "I understand the reservations you have about such a union, and I find that I can respect your decision very well, if it _is_ your decision. But give yourself a little time. We need not take any public steps today, and this is all very new for both of us. Do not say yes today, if you do not wish, but do not decline this offer immediately, either. Tell me your answer again when you are absolutely certain."

It was nearly the same advice her aunt had offered, and Elizabeth grasped at it like a lifeline. "Very well, Mr. Darcy. We will both wait and see how this situation develops, and then make our decisions accordingly."

**Author's Note (again): Please remember, dear readers, why we all like Lizzie so much. She's spirited. She's opinionated. She makes mistakes, but she does not simply accept what life throws at her without question. Do you really think that she'll agree to marry Darcy just because he says she needs to? No? Me neither.**


	6. Chapter Five

_**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for all your reviews and encouraging comments—you are the encouragement that keeps me writing! -Elaine **_

The Bennet sisters did not return to Longbourn that afternoon. Such a serious event happening so quickly called for many discussions with all the family members, and in a little while it was apparent that they should have a day to absorb the news and to devise a strategy before returning home.

Darcy was of necessity part of the family discussion, though he listened much and said little. After Elizabeth had agreed with his request she still looked miserably weak and ill, and Darcy had insisted on calling her aunt and sister to attend to her. From there Mr. Gardiner had also joined in, and in the ensuing conversation it was Darcy and Mr. Gardiner who explained to the other ladies exactly what had happened. Once Elizabeth assured them that she was well, they were all able to sit together and sensibly discuss what should be done next.

The two sisters would return to Longbourn the next morning, they all decided. Mrs. Gardiner would include a note to apologize for the slight delay in their return, but would say nothing of the circumstances that had prompted it. Jane and Elizabeth were to pretend as though nothing unusual had occurred and wait to hear from their younger sisters if anything had been said in the neighborhood. Lydia and Kitty, at least, were certain to be well-informed. Hopefully, they all agreed, word would not spread from Rosings. But if it did, Elizabeth was to immediately inform her father of all that had happened and prepare herself to abide by his decision. It was either that, Mr. Gardiner said, or he himself would accompany them to Longbourn when they returned and explain to his brother everything that Darcy had told him, but Elizabeth held that to be unnecessary.

Darcy offered to go to Longbourn himself the next day, to speak with Mr. Bennet personally, but Elizabeth pointed out that coming to the neighborhood at such a time, especially coming to Longbourn, would be taken as confirmation of any rumors that might be in existence, and he subsided without argument.

Since all seemed settled for the moment, he was beginning to take his farewell when Mrs. Gardiner, noticing how much time had now passed, offered him a seat with the family while they ate a very late noon meal. He agreed, his carriage was dismissed with instructions to return later, and they all moved into the dining room together.

Elizabeth watched Darcy carefully as he interacted with her aunt and uncle at the sideboard, glad that she had two relatives besides Jane who never gave her reason for shame. Tactfully, they were avoiding touching on any subjects that might embarrass either Darcy or Elizabeth. Mrs. Gardiner especially exerted herself to draw Darcy into the general conversation. She would not allow him to sit silently by, and Elizabeth was pleased to see Darcy beginning to relax and speak more freely to both her and Mr. Gardiner. At length he went so far as to ask Mr. Gardiner his opinion on the status of the peninsular war, and Elizabeth gloried to hear her uncle's original, well thought out points on the subject.

When the meal had finished, and they had all sat together for awhile in the parlor, Darcy's carriage returned for him and he took up his hat and coat again. Mrs. Gardiner announced that Elizabeth would see Darcy to the door, which Elizabeth did not dare protest in front of him. Could not the footman perform his usual office? The pair walked to the door together silently. Just before Darcy opened it he looked soberly at Elizabeth. "I again apologize for my actions, Miss Bennet, in that they have left you in a difficult position. I trust we may come to a happy conclusion on this matter at some point in the near future."

Elizabeth noted that he had not expressed a desire to marry her, or any affection for her at all. After two rejections he must be feeling the sting of her disapproval.

"I blame myself, sir, not you, and I likewise wish for a happy conclusion. If I need to communicate with you," she added, not liking the thought, "I will send word to you through my uncle."

"If you need to communicate with me again," he responded, "then there will likely be no need for secrecy." She understood his meaning at once. Open communications were allowed between an engaged couple. With one last, serious look, he turned and left.

She could certainly find no fault in his manners today, she thought as she rejoined her family. Today, he had been everything amiable, except for some few moments when he had spoken with her privately. And even then, he had spoken nothing but the truth. Apparently he could please where he wanted to, and when he felt the situation called for it. Jane had said that perhaps he was one of those people who never find themselves at ease in company, but today had shown that not to be the case, for how could he possibly be at ease on Gracechurch Street? And yet he had made himself at home in their little family group.

The situation was discussed at length with her family for the next few hours. Elizabeth saw at once that her aunt and uncle, although sympathetic to her position, tended to agree with Darcy that marriage was the most obvious solution to the problem. Darcy was clearly honorable, they said, and had, in the recent past, expressed a strong attachment to Elizabeth. They believed he would treat her very well. They did not add (although everyone thought it) that Darcy was also rich, and her marriage to him could solve the problem of the troublesome entail in one stroke. If the marriage did not start with great affection, it could still develop over time, and after all, many marriages had begun with much less. Such was her aunt and uncle's very practical view.

Jane was more cautious. Being so recently disappointed in love, she did not wish for her sister to experience any of the same despondency that she herself felt. A marriage without affection would be a disagreeable thing. But even she pointed out that Darcy had been very kind and was demonstrating great patience in waiting for a favorable answer from her. It was even possible that he still loved her, although she had no answer when Elizabeth asked why he had not then expressed any such feeling since first speaking with her at Hunsford.

Altogether, Elizabeth was grateful that neither her sister nor her aunt and uncle would make the final decision in this case, if a decision became necessary. That final choice would belong to her father, and she knew he would never force her into such an unhappy situation. So she faced her return to Hertfordshire with a desperate hope that all would be well, and that no word of Darcy's letter had preceded her.

* * *

><p>Just as Elizabeth had been observing Darcy, Darcy had likewise studied Elizabeth throughout his visit at the Gardiner's house, when he judged it likely that she would not notice his perusal. How many times, he wondered, had one man made an offer to the same woman two times in just under two weeks? Really, he thought tiredly, it was almost three times, for their encounter in the park had come perilously close to a proposal as well. But she had turned him down again.<p>

This time he was completely puzzled by her response. He had laid out the peril she now faced in a logical, sensible fashion, and yet she had decided that living with disgrace was preferable to living with him. But why? She knew his character was good, and that marrying him would offer her a number of advantages she would otherwise never have. Had he not lowered himself enough for her, by coming to her uncle's home and seeking out the acquaintance of a man in trade? Had he not made himself as agreeable as possible, not only to her, but to her relatives whose condition in life was so decidedly beneath his own? What could possibly be her objection to him now?

It would make no difference in the long run, he decided. Unless he was much mistaken, her choice of marriage partner would soon be no choice at all.

* * *

><p>Instead of finding all eyes on her the next day, Elizabeth was first surprised, and then relieved, to find that Jane was the complete center of the family's almost undivided attention.<p>

The sisters travelled directly to Longbourn, passing up the inn in Meryton altogether, and at half past eleven their carriage pulled up to the front steps. The noise of the carriage had been heard, and the whole family came spilling out to meet them.

"My dear girls! My dearest Jane! Why did you not come yesterday?" Mrs. Bennet cried as they were handed out of the carriage. "Mr. Bingley is come back, and I thought Jane must have taken sick and died before he could see her again!"

Jane and Elizabeth kissed their mother and shook hands with their father. Mary, standing next to Mr. Bennet, dropped them a curtsey while Lydia and Kitty, along with Mrs. Bennet, surrounded Jane as they all tried to speak at once.

"Mr. Bingley has come back?" Jane asked her mother, looking anxious. "When did he return?"

"He is returning this very day!" her mother exclaimed. "His housekeeper told the butcher that he is coming back along with his sister, that they are opening the house again, and that he is already talking of having a ball at Netherfield!"

Jane looked at Elizabeth, and she returned the look steadily. Jane, presumably, was thinking only of Mr. Bingley, and wondering why he was returned now. Elizabeth's mind was of course fixed on his friend.

"I knew he only meant to stay in town for the winter!" her mother continued. "I knew he never meant to stay away at all! I do think he might have told us when he would return, when he left, but it is all very well since he comes back now in order to see Jane again."

"He might have returned in order to see his house," said Mr. Bennet. "It is let to him, after all."

"You delight in teasing me, Mr. Bennet! He is here to see Jane, and he will soon be as much in love with her as ever! I am certain that I am right, for did I not say in January that Mr. Bingley would come back? And here he is, even earlier than I thought!"

"You said that he used Jane very ill, and that it would serve him right if Jane died of a broken heart," Kitty objected, but nobody listened to her. Mrs. Bennet exclaimed over Jane's beauty while Lydia demanded to know if they had met any other eligible gentlemen in town.

Elizabeth stood back a little ways from the rest of her family, overlooked and momentarily forgotten. This suited her well. The recent intense focus on her had been tiring, and she enjoyed simply watching the glow of happiness on Jane's face. At length her father, ignoring the commotion, looked at her affectionately and said simply, "I am glad _you_ are come back, Lizzie." Somehow that simple statement meant more to her than all the effusions from her mother and sisters. She smiled at him, kissed him gratefully, and followed Jane into the house.

Jane gave her mother the note Mrs. Gardiner had carefully prepared, but Mrs. Bennet barely glanced at it.

"Nobody has talked of anything but Mr. Bingley for the last two days, he is the talk of the whole neighborhood! Of course, Mr. Bennet, you will want to call upon him as soon as you are able, so that we may have him to visit as soon as possible."

"I see no reason to call upon him, my dear. If he wishes to visit us he may do so all he wants. I shall not turn him away."

"Mr. Bennet! You are impossible!" his wife answered, while Jane blushed and tried to ignore her mother's exclamations. "We must have him here before anyone else has a chance to ask him. I shall ask Mrs. Chambers for her receipt for pheasant, so that we may have it when he comes. She served it at her table not three weeks ago and everyone exclaimed over it! Mrs. Chambers has two daughters who are not yet out, so _she_ can have no use for such a meal."

Before Jane and Elizabeth escaped upstairs to unpack their things, their mother told them that there would be a small dinner party at Longbourn that evening, which they would of course attend. Jane and Elizabeth made their way to their chamber, followed by Lydia and Kitty, who were eager to share all the gossip of the neighborhood.

"Mama is only letting you out of her sight now because Mr. Bingley will not be here tonight, otherwise I am sure she would insist on dressing you herself," Lydia told Jane as she lounged on their bed, while Jane and Elizabeth began to unpack their belongings. "He could not be here, of course, since he is only arriving today. But even without Bingley, we shall still have Denny and Wickham and all the rest. And Colonel Forster and his wife shall be here, and I am become such a favorite of theirs!"

Wickham! Elizabeth had nearly forgotten about him. "Is Mr. Wickham still bent on pursuing Miss King?" she asked, as casually as she could.

"No! He is safe. Her father sent her to Liverpool a month ago, to get her away from him. He was here earlier this week, on Tuesday, and he asked after you, Lizzie. What a shame that the militia leaves in a fortnight to go to Brighton! Otherwise you might have made him fall in love with you all over again, but now you will not have enough time."

Elizabeth could almost laugh, if she had not been so worried about the situation with Darcy. To think that a few short weeks ago she would have welcomed Wickham's renewed interest! Now she could think of little that she desired less. Even Darcy would be preferable to Wickham, now that she had a better understanding of Wickham's character.

She debated within herself whether she should tell her sisters what she had learned about Wickham from Darcy. Miss King, now in Liverpool, was safe from him, and giving such personal information to her younger sisters would of course make them question where she had learned it. She glanced at Jane with the question in her eyes, while Lydia chattered mindlessly on, and saw that Jane had the same thought. Jane shook her head. It was decided. They would say nothing of Wickham publicly.

Thinking of Darcy made her listen intently to Lydia and Kitty as they related the news of Meryton for the past two months. She attended carefully as they told who had bought what new dress, or attended this assembly or that, and who had danced with who at every function. But she received no more attention here than when she and Jane had first appeared in front of Longbourn. In all of their news, not once did their eyes land on her with any suspicion. For now, it appeared, her reputation was untouched.

The dinner at Longbourn that night was attended by a handful of the officers, including Wickham, and three or four other families from the neighborhood. Elizabeth, standing near the door and speaking with her aunt Phillips, could not help being aware of when Wickham entered the room. Though she did not turn to look at him she knew when he had left his group and approached her mother, and she knew when he was beginning to move closer to her, although she was not looking at him. Finally he approached her directly, with his usual easy manner. She returned his greeting as her aunt moved away. Though she did not greatly look forward to any conversation with him, she also had no real reason to be afraid of him.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries, Wickham expressed his satisfaction that Elizabeth and Miss Bennet had finally returned.

"The conversation tonight will be all the more pleasant, now that you and your sister are at Longbourn once again. It has been two months, or perhaps above that, has it not, since you went away? I began to think that you would not come back at all before the militia decamped." He smiled charmingly, and Elizabeth saw at once that he felt secure of her response. Although they had not seen each other in two months, and although he had been actively pursuing Mary King even before that time, he took for granted her interest in him. If he deigned to resume an acquaintance with her, his manner seemed to say, then he knew she would be happy to oblige. He had no way of knowing how completely her opinion of him had been changed.

"Yes, Jane went to town before I did, and at the end of my stay in Kent I joined her at my aunt and uncle's house."

"I remember that you were going to visit your friend, Mrs. Collins, at Hunsford. Did you see much of Rosings and its occupants?"

"I believe very few people saw as much of Lady Catherine as we did during that time," Elizabeth answered. "She is a most attentive neighbor. We had many opportunities for interaction, with both Lady Catherine and Miss De Bourgh."

Wickham asked how Elizabeth had found Miss de Bourgh. "I suppose she is as reserved as ever? I do not believe she is allowed much into society."

"Having not known her previously, I have no room to compare," Elizabeth answered, "but she did not leave the proximity of Rosings while we were there. However," she added, watching for his reaction, "Mr. Darcy was visiting Lady Catherine while we were there, and I suppose that might explain why Miss de Bourgh stayed so close by."

Wickham looked at her more closely after she said Darcy's name, and was beginning to respond, but they were called in to dinner before he could finish. With his most gallant look he offered Elizabeth his arm, and they proceeded in to the table together. When the meal had been served he took up their conversation again.

"And how did you pass your time while you were in Kent? Did you see much of Mr. Darcy?"

"I saw both Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. We conversed several times," Elizabeth answered. "Colonel Fitzwilliam is a charming and amiable man."

"He is everything that is pleasing," Wickham answered. "I know he is, or was, a great favorite of Miss Darcy's, and I used to see him often at Pemberley. He is not much like his cousin."

"They are more alike than I had first thought," Elizabeth responded. "They both have highly informed minds, and can be very well-spoken. Mr. Darcy, in particular, was pleased to educate me on several topics of which I was previously ignorant. He is a most enlightening speaker." Elizabeth did not know if she should be speaking of Darcy in such a way to Wickham or not, but the temptation to provoke a reaction from him was too much to resist.

She could see that Wickham's curiosity was piqued, but he did not know how close to come to such a dangerous topic. "I am surprised, and pleased," he said, looking at her closely, "to know that Darcy was able to reverse your previous opinion of him. I know you were not favorably disposed towards him before you went away."

"My opinion of the _man_ has not changed," Elizabeth countered. "Or rather, my opinion of his _manners_ is the same. I believe Mr. Darcy is now just as he has ever been. But it is possible to learn useful information even from someone whose manners are not such as to win friends immediately. It is possible to be taught by such a person, and to find that person more deserving of respect than before."

"And pray tell, on what subject did you find new information? How was he able to educate you?"

"I am speaking in generalities only. He spoke, for example, of the disposition of several valuable family livings, and made me aware how difficult it can be to find deserving candidates to fill such positions."

Wickham gave a short laugh. "I am sure he did not mention my name. As you know, there was _one _family living with a very deserving candidate, which he did not choose to recognize."

"Forgive me, Mr. Wickham. It is not to be supposed that he was speaking of you at all. I should not have raised the subject."

"Did Darcy ever mention that I was intended for the church?" Wickham asked next. "Did he mention that it was his father's favorite wish that I enter the clergy?"

"I believe he said that he thought you had renounced the church, and wished to pursue the practice of law instead." Wickham looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, there is something to that. I could hardly pursue the church as a vocation, when there was no living to be gained. A man must have a position to look forward to, in order to make the study worthwhile."

"I am certain you are correct, Mr. Wickham. One rarely hears of a man pursuing a degree in either religion or law, unless they know beyond a doubt that a comfortable living will be waiting for them, as soon as they are able to take it up. One should not study for a profession unless one is certain that their future will be assured in every detail." At that, Wickham flushed and looked away.

"Mr. Darcy also made me aware of the heavy expenses involved in studying for a profession," she continued artlessly.

"It is indeed a costly affair," Wickham agreed, "though Darcy would hardly need concern himself with such a thing. He certainly had no lack of resources for whatever studies he might have chosen to undertake."

"Mr. Darcy said the expense is more than I might guess. It is such, in fact, that even a fortune of several thousand pounds, or even as much as four thousand, might not be sufficient for some to be able to study without interruption."

Again Wickham looked at her, and now Elizabeth saw in his face that her comment had struck a chord. He looked as if he would say something, then closed his mouth again. Finally, with a smile that did not reach his eyes, he said, "It is difficult to tell what the expenses of an education may be. At times, it is nearly impossible to guess what support may be needed. I am very grateful that the old Mr. Darcy supported me as much as he did." With that, he turned to the person sitting on his other side and began a conversation with them, and he did not turn back to Elizabeth again while the meal was continuing.

When supper had been cleared, tables were set up for card games, and Elizabeth made her way to where commerce was being arranged on one side of the room. Wickham could have followed her there, but instead he allowed Mrs. Phillips to call him to a table that was as far from her as possible, on the other side of the room. He did not try to speak to her again, nor to single her out with any particular attentions. Elizabeth smiled to herself with satisfaction as the cards were dealt. "Be gone," she thought, "and do not trouble me with your attentions again. Though I may have enjoyed your company once, that time is past, and you are gone without any regrets from me." She thought it highly unlikely that Wickham would ever choose to interact with her for any length of time again.

They had returned from town on Saturday and the next day was Sunday. According to rumor, Mr. Bingley would be attending services, and hopes ran high at Longbourn when the family rose on Sunday morning.

"Make haste, Jane dear, make haste!" Mrs. Bennet urged her eldest daughter when Jane appeared at the breakfast table. "You do not want to be late. Do not wear your usual Sunday best, you must wear the poplin you bought in Meryton last autumn. It will set off your eyes."

"Ugh! It is so ugly!" Lydia cut in. "She had much better wear the new satin dress from London, the one she was unpacking yesterday."

Mary broke in solemnly. "The holy services are for us to be seen by God, and not by men, and so it matters not how we are dressed. We ought to pay more attention to the blemishes on our souls, than to the vain adornment of our bodies."

Kitty and Lydia looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"I am of the opinion that most young ladies go to services to be seen by young men, rather than by God," her father responded drily. "The rest of us go to be seen by our neighbors."

"I would rather see Denny in church than anyone else!" Lydia responded back with a laugh, "and Jane will attract Mr. Bingley's attention no matter what building she is in!"

"There is no reason for so much talk," Jane said to no one in particular, blushing becomingly. "We go to church to do our duty, and no conversation is allowed. And Mr. Bingley may not even be there."

"I think that if he believes you may be present," Elizabeth told her in a low voice, "then nothing shall keep him away."

"But no one will see _me_ at all, if Jane wears a new dress!" Kitty cried. "Why can't I have a new dress, mama?"

"Nobody wants to look at you, Kitty, only Jane matters this morning!" her mother answered, and Kitty burst into tears.

They eventually made it to services, Jane indeed wearing the new silk she had bought in town, and Mrs. Bennet was delighted by the attention paid to Jane by Bingley and everyone else there. Before the service started, of course, there was no opportunity for talk as all sat patiently waiting in their pew, with thoughts fixed on subjects both heavenly and more prosaic. But after church, when everyone had left the building and was beginning to walk to their carriages, Bingley took the liberty of approaching Mr. Bennet. He spoke to Mr. Bennet, but he looked at Miss Bennet a great deal. Mrs. Bennet also joined the conversation.

"It has been five months, at least, Mr. Bingley, since you went away," she said, and Bingley acknowledged this with a nod. "People did say that you meant to give the place up entirely at Michaelmas, but however I never believed it. I told everyone that you would be back, and now here you are. Do you believe you will remain longer in the neighborhood this time?"

He did, and said so as he looked at Miss Bennet. He believed he might be in the neighborhood for any number of months now.

"Then you must come to Longbourn when you can. We shall be glad of your company, and perhaps you and Mr. Bennet will hunt together. You still owe us a family dinner, you know, for you promised you would take one with us, before you went away."

He would look forward to such an event, he said. In fact he was thinking of calling on them the very next day, Monday, if Mr. Bennet did not object. Nobody did object, although it was certainly the wrong time of year for hunting, and an engagement was made for the next morning. Having spoken mostly with Mrs. Bennet about visiting Mr. Bennet, and with a last look towards Miss Bennet, Bingley retrieved his sister, who had stood a little ways away during this conversation, and got into his carriage. They drove away.

Mrs. Bennet was as pleased with this development as one might expect. Jane was now beyond a doubt her favorite daughter, and Bingley was the most agreeable young man ever to come to Hertfordshire. Mrs. Bennet spent much of the rest of the day planning Bingley's pending visit.

"Mr. Bennet, as soon as he is come, you must offer him the use of your library."

"Is there something wrong with the library at Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet?"

"That does not signify at all! If you offer him the use of the library here, then he may see Jane all the more!"

"I have not the pleasure of understanding you. What has Jane to do with the library?"

"Oh! Mr. Bennet! You are so impossible! We want him to spend as much time at Longbourn as he can, so that he and Jane may see each other as much as possible. I am sure you have a book or two here that he does not have, and that he would very much like to examine at his leisure. You must offer to find him one."

"Then I will make certain he will know that he may take any of our books to Netherfield, and read them there, whenever he wants." Kitty and Lydia giggled wildly, while Mrs. Bennet continued planning her campaign.

"If you can devise a way to keep him here long enough, Mr. Bennet, then we may even invite him to stay for supper. You must find something to keep him occupied, something that will prevent him from wanting to leave before it is too early."

"I leave that entirely in your capable hands, Mrs. Bennet. If all the charms of all the books in the library are not enough to keep him at Longbourn for the day, I am sure I don't know what will."

Bingley's visit the next day was a success, though not as much a success as Mrs. Bennet's ambitions desired. Bingley arrived in good time and was received by the family in the parlor, where Bingley seated himself across from Mr. Bennet while they carried on their conversation. Yes, Bingley answered in response to Mr. Bennet's questions, his trip from town had been uneventful, and the roads were in as good repair as could be expected in the spring. No, Netherfield suffered no ill effects after being shut up all winter. Yes, he did expect that Miss Bingley would announce a ball in the near future.

Mrs. Bennet, sensing a lag in the conversation, then jumped into the fray by asking how many people Miss Bingley planned to invite. Bingley smiled with a little embarrassment. He really did not know; his sister would plan all details, as she usually did, etc., etc. But he was certain that the Bennets would be among the first invited; indeed, they would probably be the very first. And he smiled at Miss Bennet as he said this, and Miss Bennet smiled back.

After that, Kitty and Lydia announced that they were going to take a walk outside in the fresh weather, and Mrs. Bennet urged her older daughters to go with them. Mary declined, but the others accepted, and nothing could be more natural than that Bingley should offer to go with them. Once outside the house, Bingley offered his arm to the eldest Miss Bennet, who accepted joyfully, and the others, including Elizabeth, walked a little ways ahead. Not much was said by any of the party, but two of them exchanged looks that were so meaningful, and reflected so much happiness, that even Mrs. Bennet, watching from the window, could find nothing to make herself worry.

The only problem with Bingley's visit was that it was too short. When the walking party had returned from outside, it was rather early to be thinking of supper. This might not have prevented Mrs. Bennet from making the offer, but Bingley exceeded her expectations by asking if the Bennets would be at the supper party at Lucas Lodge the following evening. They would indeed, and Bingley assured them that although he had only returned from town on Saturday, Sir William had made certain to include him in the general invitation already. He would be there, and he would look forward to seeing them all. After another significant look from him to Jane, he took his leave.

"My dear Jane, I have found a fault in your Mr. Bingley," Elizabeth told her sister as they turned back to the house together.

"What fault could there possibly be in him? He is everything amiable and kind, is he not?"

"Yes, but he is not very truthful! I am certain that when he said he is looking forward to seeing us all tomorrow night, that he was thinking only of you."

"Lizzy, you must not—" Jane began, but then saw the look on Elizabeth's face. Laughingly, they went inside, anticipating happily what might happen on the morrow.


	7. Chapter Six

_**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please do comment and review—I read every word of every comment! Thank you so much!-Elaine**_

What had been Darcy's role in bringing Bingley back to Jane? This question was on Elizabeth's mind as they made their way to Lucas Lodge for Sir William's supper party. The most pleasing answer would be that Darcy had told Bingley that Jane still had feelings for him, and Bingley had returned immediately. But could it be that simple? And if he had told Bingley of Jane's feelings, had he also told him of his own interference in his friend's affairs? And even if it were so simple, Elizabeth had reservations about a brother who could be so easily guided by the will of another, although, she supposed, it would be up to Jane to approve or disapprove of such a characteristic. And so far, Jane clearly approved.

Her own situation with Darcy had been allowed to quietly sink in her mind. She had arrived home on Saturday amid Darcy's dire predictions that gossip would already be on her doorstep; three days later, she had yet to see its effects anywhere. Nobody at the Longbourn dinner party had shown any particular interest in her; there had been no covert whispers or curious looks at services on Sunday or when she, Kitty and Lydia walked to Meryton on Tuesday morning. As Bingley renewed his obvious addresses to her sister, the part of Elizabeth that had been so alarmed at the end of the previous week had faded into near silence.

Until she entered Lucas Lodge with her family, she had not thought that same part would suddenly rise up again in alarm, that it would have a reason to re-assert itself in her mind. But there was something in the atmosphere, some small change that she could not immediately identify, that alerted her all was not well.

They had entered Lucas Lodge and been greeted by the footman who took their garments. Elizabeth did not know this particular footman at all; he was merely one of the household servants who had assisted them when they previously visited. But as he bowed to Elizabeth, he lifted his head, looked directly at her face, and smiled. It was a wise smile, a smile that seemed to say that he and she shared some secret knowledge which he would gladly keep for her, if only she would confirm that such a secret existed. She looked back at him in frank astonishment, and he moved away.

"Such impertinence!" her mother, who had seen the interaction, exclaimed. "Such ill mannered impertinence! I shall certainly speak to Sir William about that!" She strode into the parlor, followed by Lydia and Kitty, and Elizabeth allowed Jane to pull her along after staring at the back of the retreating footman for a moment.

They exchanged greetings with their host and his wife. Lady Lucas greeted most of the Bennets civilly enough, but when she came to Elizabeth, Elizabeth noticed that a certain formality, a coldness she had not before demonstrated with her, came into her tone. Lady Lucas was as correct as she needed to be in her address, but she asked Elizabeth no questions and gave no recognition of the fact that her daughter and Charlotte had been such good friends. There was a level of stiltedness in her address that seemed out of place between two families who knew each other so well, and for so long.

Sir William was his ever genial self, but even his manner was a little changed. As he took Elizabeth's hand in greeting he said, "Miss Elizabeth, we are as pleased as ever to have you with us. Your company is welcome tonight and always, despite," he hesitated, "despite the difficulties caused for our dear daughter."

"I am sure I do not know what you mean," Elizabeth responded in confusion.

"Never mind, it is of no matter," Sir William responded heartily. "I am sure it will all blow over soon enough." Lady Lucas sniffed and looked away, the line moved on, and the Bennets walked away.

"What did he mean? What can he be talking about?" Kitty asked her, when they had moved out of earshot. Elizabeth shook her head in pretended innocence.

"I am sure there is some point of confusion."

Everyone stood and sat in small groups in the Lucas drawing room as other guests arrived. Jane and Elizabeth had positioned themselves near enough to the door to see when Bingley arrived, but not so near that they could not pretend to be doing anything but that. They neither looked away from the door, nor steadily at it, but of course they were highly aware of everyone who came in. At length they were rewarded by hearing Bingley's jovial voice in the entry way, and then he came into the room, followed by his sister.

A general ripple of suppressed excitement accompanied their entry, for Bingley had been a popular member of the neighborhood, and this was his first public function since returning. Lady Lucas and Sir William greeted them both graciously and stood talking with them for several minutes. Then Bingley led his sister to where the Bennet sisters were standing. He greeted all of them in the usual way, and then said to Jane, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Bennet. I am very glad you could come."

"It is a similar pleasure to see you, and especially your sister, once again. Miss Bingley, I did not have the chance to speak to you after services Sunday. I have not seen you since meeting you in London in January. I hope we may see more of each other now."

Miss Bingley replied, "I regret that we had to leave so abruptly in the autumn. Charles, you know, had business that had to be attended to in town."

"Our visit in town was so brief, but I am sure we will be able to make up for it now," Jane answered.

Bingley's brow creased as he looked between Jane and Miss Bingley. "Miss Bennet, were you in town in January? How long were you there?"

With a feeling of triumph, Elizabeth saw that Miss Bingley's cheeks had flushed to the deepest red. She did not look at her brother.

"I arrived in January, and only recently returned with my sister."

"But that is extraordinary! All that time in town, and we never saw you!" Bingley appeared astonished. "Why did you not call on us?"

"I had the pleasure of calling on your sister, and she called on me in return."

Bingley's lips flattened into a straight line, and he looked accusingly at his sister, who looked at him apologetically. "I did not think it would signify, Charles, and then it slipped my mind altogether" Miss Bingley offered. "Please excuse my thoughtlessness."

Bingley looked back at Jane with an expression of real regret. "It is a shame that I was not aware of this, Miss Bennet. Please do not think that Miss Bingley's oversight was any reflection of my own desire to continue our acquaintance."

Well! thought Elizabeth. Bingley could hardly make his feelings about her sister any more known! How fortunate that their younger sisters were occupied in their own conversations with others in the room, and were not available to cause any immediate embarrassment. But where was her mother? Certainly her mother would rejoice in this conversation, if she had heard it.

Elizabeth stepped back a little ways to give Jane and Bingley more room for conversation and looked around the room for Mrs. Bennet. Her mother was in earnest conversation with Mrs. Phillips, and as she glanced at them, they both looked at her with a keen, appraising look. Mrs. Bennet at once crossed the room to her. "Your aunt tells me that you have an important communication to make, and that it cannot wait another minute. The whole neighborhood is talking about it, she says. I insist that you inform me immediately!"

"Mama," Elizabeth protested, "I can hardly give you information which I do not have. What does she mean?"

"You need not be so innocent with your own mother," Mrs. Phillips said, coming behind her sister. "It can only be to your advantage to let her know about your immediate change in prospects. However, you need not say anything until the gentleman is willing that you should. Family objections, I should imagine!"

"I am sure I do not know what you mean," Elizabeth began again, with rising color. "I am sure there is some great mistake on some side or other! If I were truly engaged to be married, you may be certain I could not conceal it from you."

"Are we speaking of Miss Elizabeth's admirer?" Sir William said, approaching to urge them to go in to dinner. "It will be happy news indeed, whenever she feels free to share it publicly, but for now they are calling us to dinner. Come, ladies, we can speak of this more later when a certain happy event," he looked at Elizabeth and smiled, "may be announced."

Elizabeth fairly fled her mother, who was standing completely still, with her mouth hanging open, staring after Elizabeth. Jane was standing outside the dining room and Elizabeth went directly to her. "Lord bless me!" Elizabeth heard Mrs. Bennet say, even as she took her sister's arm. "Lord bless me! Lizzie! Who would have thought it? She has not even had a caller! It must have happened when she was in town, or else when she was in Kent. How sly she has been! How careful, not to tell anyone what has happened! Why does she not tell me about it? Why does she not say who it is?"

Bingley had taken his sister's arm, not without a regretful look in Jane's direction, and was now walking ahead of them into the dining room. Jane and Elizabeth followed, and did their best to find seats as far from their parents as possible. Mrs. Bennet had by now taken her husband's arm to go in with him, and Elizabeth could hear her continued exclamations of disbelief and conjectures of who the gentleman could be. In her confusion and desire to avoid her mother's questions, and avoiding her father's looks of expressive amazement, Elizabeth did not pay much attention to the seating arrangements. When she came to an empty seat she took it without looking closely at her surroundings, and found to her dismay that Wickham was immediately on her right. It was too late to change, since everyone was already sitting down. She determined to avoid him as much as civility would allow.

"Lizzie, what has happened?" Jane spoke in a quiet undertone. "Why did we need to enter so quickly?"

"There is talk," Elizabeth answered, "about me and Mr. Darcy. Mama is wild to find out more. I do not know how I shall get through this! Perhaps we should have sat closer to her after all, so that I could have tried to keep her quiet."

"She means well but, truly, Lizzy, do you think sitting near her would have helped? At least now we are so far that she cannot ask you about it. What does she know about it? Does she know his name?"

"Not yet, but that cannot be far off."

For the moment, at least, it appeared that Mr. Bennet had succeeded in quieting his wife, since very few comments came from that end of the table, at least that Elizabeth could hear. The meal began.

Bingley had managed to arrange a seat directly across the table from Jane, and Miss Bingley sat on his other side, away from Elizabeth. Elizabeth herself was directly across from her uncle Phillips. Two seats down from her were her mother and father, facing each other across the table. As talk began to circulate around the table, Elizabeth saw her father's eyes fixed on her with a puzzled expression. She gave him a reassuring smile and concentrated on the conversation that Jane and Bingley were having across the table.

Lydia and Kitty were sitting futher down the table, on the other side of Jane, and Elizabeth could hear their talk quite plainly. Mrs. Forster had invited Lydia to accompany her and Colonel Forster to Brighton when the militia would remove thence in some ten days. Elizabeth had heard Lydia telling their mother of the invitation, but their father had not yet given his permission.

"A sea bath!" Lydia exclaimed. "I should dearly love to take a sea bath! I have never been to the sea and to take a bath in it seems lovely above anything else!"

"I have taken one once," Lady Lucas, who was seated at that end of the table, commented. "I can assure you that it is most refreshing, although one does not want to linger long in the water. It is best to simply slip out of the bathing wagon, have a little splash in the water, and then return to the wagon promptly. One does not want to catch a chill."

"After all that fuss, putting on the gown and getting into the wagon, I should want to stay in it forever! I should at least stay in the water a good twenty minutes. But papa has not said if I can go."

"And how is a ladylike modesty preserved?" Mary, across from Lydia, asked. "I do not see how modesty could be kept in the presence of gentlemen. It does not seem entirely proper."

"It is entirely proper, I assure you!" Lady Lucas launched into a description of how the bathing machines were driven into the water with their occupants inside, and how their privacy was maintained during the process.

On Elizabeth's other side, Mrs. Bennet, having exceeded her capacity for observing decorum, began to speak to Mrs. Phillips across the table.

"Do you see how Bingley favors Jane? I tell you, we shall have her at Netherfield at last. After all of our worries in the winter, we shall have a happy conclusion to the matter, and I shall have a daughter married, and married very well. Nothing could make us happier than to have such a son in law."

Mrs. Phillips offered her congratulations while Elizabeth cringed and prayed that Bingley was too distracted to hear Mrs. Bennet speaking so. "But," Mrs. Phillips added, with a knowing glance at Elizabeth, "it is to be thought that Lizzie has made an even greater match! Jane's marriage will be nothing to hers, nothing at all, if you can believe the tales of a certain man from Derbyshire."

Wickham, seated between Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet, gave her a quick look of inquiry.

"I wish you would tell me who, sister! I wish you would tell me who the man might be, since Lizzie is so trifling!"

"There are not so many men from Derbyshire known to your family, are there?"

"My dear," Mr. Bennet interposed, "I do not believe our daughter's future ought to be discussed over a dinner table unless it has been discussed with us first, wouldn't you agree? Let some other mother here brag about the fine match her daughter is about to make. I will not have either of our daughters spoken of in such a way." Mrs. Phillips accepted the redirection on her sister's behalf. She began to discuss the arrival of a new pattern of lace in the Meryton shops.

"May I offer my congratulations?" Wickham said to Elizabeth _sotto voce_, speaking almost into her ear, under the cover of the other conversations. "I had no idea how much Darcy had changed your opinion of him when we spoke on Saturday. I had no idea you had made such a conquest."

"I have _not_ made such a conquest, Mr. Wickham," Elizabeth answered scornfully. "My aunt is mistaken. There is no engagement, nor shall there ever be."

Wickham looked at her thoughtfully. "I would have agreed with you. I would not have thought there could possibly be an engagement with Darcy either, if I had not heard rumors earlier today of a certain letter."

Elizabeth lifted her chin proudly. "There was no letter of the kind that you are thinking. You have been misinformed."

"No letter at all?" Wickham repeated. "You have had no private correspondence with the gentleman in question? You have had no private interactions? Then I might wonder where you came across the information you shared with me when we last met. How did Darcy make you aware of the family livings to be disposed of? How were you acquainted with the sum of three thousand pounds? How, indeed, if there were no letter? It is very clear that your opinion of the man has completely changed."

Elizabeth, flushed and angry, would not answer. She looked away to the other side of the table in time to hear Lydia say, "I should not care if a man would see me with a wet dress on! I should not care at all! Indeed, I should like it above anything else if the officers at Brighton could see me in such a way!"

"Lydia!" Kitty protested, trying to shush her.

"Oh, it does not matter, Kitty. None of the officers here can hear me except Colonel Forster, and he will keep my secret, will you not, Colonel? Since Harriet and I are such good friends, you will not tell the world what silly little things I might say."

"No, indeed," the colonel answered, laughing. "Your secrets are safe with me."

Back on Mrs. Bennet's end of the table, her mother had again veered into descriptions of what luxuries might be Jane's in the future. "I am glad you tell me of this lace, sister. I am very happy to hear of it. Nothing but the very finest lace will be used in Jane's wedding dress, you may be sure! But since Mr. Bennet does not wish me to speak of our daughter's future, I shall not mention that such an expense as the finest lace in the land will not be too much for Mrs. Bingley! And of course, for Mrs. Darcy, if such a thing has really happened!"

Elizabeth silently resolved that she would never again underestimate her family's capacity to humiliate itself in public. She cringed throughout the meal, wanting nothing so much as to be able to depart as quickly as possible. Although she avoided eye contact with others as much as she could, she was aware of several speculative glances that came her way from the Forsters, Mr. Phillips, and Denny, with expressions that included blatant disbelief, admiration, and amusement at her expense. It would seem that the whole group now assembled, with the possible exception of her younger sisters, was now aware of the letter and its discovery and she could only sit, mortified, without any recourse as word spread around the table. Her only pleasure in the evening came from watching the joy that Bingley and Jane experienced in each other's presence, even in a setting where they had no chance for private conversation.

She could not wait to finish the meal and return to Longbourn, even though she knew, from the looks she received from her father, that the dreaded moment of truth would be upon her as soon as she walked in the door. Her mother, too, would have to be faced.

When the dinner, mercifully, was finally over, Sir William was withdrawing with the other gentlemen when Mr. Bennet spoke. "I regret, sir, that I will not be able to join you. The headache I am now experiencing will make me poor company. Please forgive me and my family for leaving early tonight."

Sir William was surprised. "Surely not all of your family is indisposed? We can return you to Longbourn in our carriage, if you like, and your family can return later in your equipage. Lady Lucas would not like to be deprived of their company."

"I insist on my family suffering along with me," was Mr. Bennet's reply. "If I have a headache, then rest assured we must all have one." Lady Lucas answered that she would not dream of imposing on the Bennet family and it would be no trouble at all for them to leave early. Elizabeth gratefully added the truthful statement that she was feeling fatigued, and it was decided, amidst the loud complaints of Mrs. Bennet and the two youngest daughters, to go at once.

It took several minutes for the carriages to be called and for them to be pulled up in front of the house. Elizabeth stood with Jane and the Bingleys, ignoring the looks being directed her way, until she heard Kitty and Lydia giggling behind her.

"La! It is so droll!" Lydia was saying. "She hates Mr. Darcy, and he said she is only tolerable. There is no chance that they could be having a secret love affair!"

"You may be surprised, Miss Lydia," came Wickham's voice, only slightly lowered. "Miss Elizabeth told me herself that her opinion of the man has greatly changed. I would not be surprised to find that her feelings have become quite the opposite of what they were before she met him in Kent."

"How could anyone care for such a proud, disagreeable man?" Kitty asked, her voice showing her disbelief.

"It is the oldest story in the world, Miss Bennet. A man of wealth may change opinions wherever he wishes. I know Darcy and your sister must have become closer. She repeated personal family information to me when I was at your home on Saturday, information that could only have come from Darcy himself. I strongly believe this rumor to be true."

"But is it an engagement, or something else?" Lydia asked. "There would be no reason for her to conceal it from her own sisters!"

"I do think she ought to have told us first, and not let us find out in this way!" Kitty added.

Elizabeth heard every word of this exchange, though her back was turned. In an agony of suspense she waited for the carriage to be announced. As she pretended to listen to the conversation between Jane and Bingley, Miss Bingley, overhearing the same exchange, caught her eye and gave her a knowing look. She looked back without flinching, but her will to be strong was weakening. When the carriage was announced a moment later, she was the first one out the door.

No words can describe the questions directed at Elizabeth as her sisters joined her in the carriage, the giggles and saucy looks from Kitty and Lydia, and the disapproving glares from Mary. Jane patted her hand consolingly and tried to talk of the evening just finished—the gowns of all the ladies in attendance, the charming conversation between her and Bingley, how well the food tasted. Elizabeth could hear none of it. She wondered what her father and mother must be saying to each other as they rode in their carriage, and dreaded the conversation yet to come.


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Here's the chapter you've been waiting for! I hope you enjoy it and leave lots and lots of feedback! I had kidney stone surgery earlier this week so parts of this chapter were written in a haze of Percocet. I'm blaming that for any obvious errors. Thank you for your responses so far—they make my day! A Trini—Gracias por escribirme en espanol. Me encanta practicar leyendo y escribiendolo! - Elaine**

When they arrived at Longbourn Elizabeth's mother and sisters surrounded her as she stepped out of the carriage, each of them except Jane bursting with questions, but she ignored them all and handed over her spencer and hat to Mrs. Hill. Without a word she followed her father into his study and stood waiting.

Mr. Bennet shut the door behind his daughter and faced her sternly. "Elizabeth, I can see in your face that there is at least some truth in the rumors I heard being spread during dinner tonight. You must tell me everything at once."

"I am afraid we shall have to sit down," she responded. "This is a lengthy tale, and we may be here for some time." Her father motioned her to a seat as he sat down behind his desk.

"Tell me everything, from the start. You could not possibly be engaged to Darcy! It is well known how much you hate him, and it is certain that he has never looked at you twice, except to criticize! You must tell me what all this is."

With a certain sense of unreality, Elizabeth began to recite everything that had occurred between her and Darcy, including the contents of his letter. She told her father of Lady Catherine's visit to the Collins' home, her own abrupt departure for town, and of Darcy's interactions with her and the Gardiners there, ending with the Gardiner's advice to her. Her father listened carefully and asked several questions. At the end of her recital he sighed heavily, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes wearily. "And so your uncle said to have me decide what you should do? What do you think you should do? Do you think you could ever love this man?"

"I do not see how, papa, but it doesn't matter. I do not believe that marrying him will be necessary at all."

"Then what is your plan? For I can assure you, now that the whole neighborhood knows of this situation, the gossip will not die away on its own."

"I believe that it will, papa. Our friends and neighbors here know me well. They will laugh when they hear this is all a misunderstanding," she said firmly.

"Lizzie, your friends and neighbors here may love you, but they also love to gossip. Do not delude yourself for a moment as to which they love more."

Elizabeth looked at her father in shock. "But they cannot possibly believe that Mr. Darcy and I have an understanding!"

"How will they not believe it? Lizzie, I heard what Wickham told your sisters just before we left Lucas Lodge tonight. You must explain this to me. Why were you speaking to Wickham about Darcy?"

"I wished to see for myself how he would respond when confronted with the truth of what Mr. Darcy told me. His reaction told me everything I needed to know."

"I am afraid you only hurt yourself by speaking so freely. Wickham can now happily confirm to everyone, not just your sisters, that you have indeed had close conversations with Darcy, and that he has given you private family information. You and Darcy are already known to have been acquaintances, since he singled you out for a dance last autumn, and you were both at Netherfield together around that time as well. It is also known that you visited his aunt's home very recently. There is no doubt that your reputation is in the greatest of danger at this point."

Elizabeth could hardly believe her ears. "Then what do you want me to do, papa? Are you saying I must marry Mr. Darcy?"

"I would never force you into any marriage, Lizzie. This must be your own decision."

"I could not marry him! I do not love him. I do not even like him."

"Love is not always necessary for marriage, daughter. Your mother and I have existed well enough without it for years."

Just behind the study door, Elizabeth heard an outbreak of stifled laughter which led her to surmise that Kitty and Lydia were doing their best to listen to this conversation without permission. More than likely her mother was there too. As for Jane and Mary, she could not even guess what they might be doing or thinking at this point.

"Forgive me, father, but that is not the sort of marriage I want," Elizabeth answered. "I have always said I will marry only when my affections are engaged."

Her father held up a hand. "Not so fast. I know marriage with affection is what you and Jane have always wanted, but you would do well to weigh all of the benefits and advantages of a more practical arrangement. Consider well, Lizzie. You would be rich, much richer than in any marriage I could arrange for you. You would have jewels, pin money, gowns and carriages that you can scarcely imagine at this moment. You would want for nothing, and neither would your offspring. Any children you would have with such a man would be well provided for."

At the mention of children, Elizabeth heard another explosive giggle behind the door.

"Your sisters, as your mother would point out, might be thrown into the paths of other rich men through your union with Darcy, and they might make favorable marriages as well. It is even possible that Jane's marriage to Bingley could be forwarded by your engagement, although after tonight, I doubt if Bingley needs any real encouragement."

Another giggle. Mrs. Bennet was heard to say, "Hush, I cannot hear!"

"Do not shove me so, Lydia!" Kitty exclaimed.

"You ought also to consider," her father continued, ignoring these sounds, "that any scandal that overtakes you overtakes Jane as well. Without corrective steps taken Bingley might become less attentive in the days to come. He himself is a gentleman, but his family is in trade. Making an offer for Jane might become difficult for someone in such a delicate position."

"I believe there would also be disadvantages to marrying Mr. Darcy, father," Elizabeth was compelled to say.

"There would indeed. Besides the indisputable fact that you would be marrying one of the most disagreeable men in England, you must also remember that if you marry him, you will be as good as lost to your family. I doubt Darcy would ever invite us to Pemberley, and your visits here would be few and far between. But then, considering the family behavior on display at this moment," here he stared at the closed door pointedly, "this might not be felt as such a loss."

Elizabeth remembered Darcy's promise to her regarding her family, but she had chosen not to tell her father that particular detail. "Is there no other option?" she asked him, beginning to feel a sense of pending doom. Her father had not commanded her to marry Darcy, but he was coming perilously close to it.

"There is one other possibility that comes to mind." Mr. Bennet replaced his glasses and looked over the top of them at her. "You could go to live with your cousin Collins."

There was the briefest of pauses, and then wild laughter on the other side of the door. Elizabeth, too, was incredulous. She could say only, "Papa!"

He held up his hand once more. "Again, you must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of such a situation."

"I see no advantages at all!"

"There are some. You would be with your friend Charlotte, for one. And you would be away from the presence of three very silly sisters and, if possible, an even sillier mother. Is that not an agreeable prospect at this moment? I also imagine you would have some small measure of independence in the Collins household, for Mr. Collins would likely ignore you as much as possible. I dare say you might have half as much independence as Mrs. Collins, despite Lady Catherine's presence. But as for the disadvantages—those are too obvious, and too many, to dwell on here."

Elizabeth found her voice. "I could no more bear to live with Mr. Collins than with Mr. Darcy! And Lady Catherine would never allow me back at Hunsford."

"If she knew that the alternative was to have you marry her nephew, I think she could be persuaded. I am sure she would be happy to have you under her constant supervision if she thought it would be to her advantage. I would, naturally, pay for your support at Hunsford. Of course in those circumstances," he added, "you would probably not be able to visit your family here, but you might be able to arrange to a visit with one or two of your sisters at the Gardiner's, for a short time. You would not be completely cut off." Elizabeth looked at her father incredulously.

"And how long would this arrangement last? How long would I have to stay away from Longbourn?"

Mr. Bennet shook his head. "I could not say. Inevitably other gossip will come along to take everyone's attention from you, but whenever you come back, the gossip will return as well. You may one day be able to return here, but I would not venture to guess when."

Against her will, tears began to sting Elizabeth's eyes. "Father, I know this is not what you wish. You must be able to find something different, some other option less distasteful to all concerned!"

"I am afraid I cannot. What you saw tonight, Lizzie, is merely a foretaste of what is to come if this situation is not resolved. Tonight the people at that dinner, most of whom know you so intimately, were willing to believe the best of you. They were willing to either envy you or to laugh at what they could not seriously credit. But this will not last. If there is no engagement announced, they will begin to wonder what you are concealing. As your status becomes uncertain you will find yourself receiving fewer and fewer invitations to events in the neighborhood. The dances, the assemblies, and all the rest- you would be shut out of all of it. And since a hostess can hardly invite every family member but one in a household, your sisters, your mother and I would soon be excluded as well. Eventually there will be no house in the neighborhood which would welcome you."

"But what about my aunt and uncle Gardiner? Why could I not live with them?" Elizabeth knew the answer even as she asked it, but she was becoming desperate for an acceptable alternative to the possible futures her father was putting before her.

'They already have children of their own. _You_ are not their responsibility. And in town, you would still be seen by too many people. At Hunsford you would be in nobody's way at all." Mr. Bennet leaned towards her for emphasis. "Elizabeth, you must either marry Mr. Darcy, or be prepared to live in a much more secluded setting than what you currently enjoy. There are no other options."

Never had she seen her father as clearly as she did now. He was a caring parent, to be sure, and a mostly obliging husband—but he was not assiduous enough to save his favorite daughter from possible disgrace. Indolent and indulgent, he would not stir himself to rise to her defense. She could not imagine what other course of action he might devise, if he were to set his mind to it, but she felt sure that there must be some other way. Though she would always love him dearly and be grateful for his affectionate behavior towards her, she could not help feeling that he was failing her beyond what she had thought possible.

She stood and walked away from her father, pacing the floor in agitation, speaking almost to herself. "These are my only alternatives, the only choices I am to have? I must marry a man whom I despise, and who despises me, or else make my home in a situation so completely disagreeable to everyone involved?"

Her father watched her carefully. "As I have said, your choices are upon you. If you stay here at Longbourn, you will have an unintended and unfortunate effect on the rest of your family. I cannot believe that is what you desire."

"I do not desire any of this!" she replied fiercely. "I cannot believe that one page from one letter can have such results!"

"Darcy's letter on its own might not, but, together with the other circumstances, it is more than enough. My dear Lizzie, you must make a decision, and make it soon."

Elizabeth sat down across from her father again, her stomach in knots and her head in a turmoil. Mr. Bennet observed her compassionately. "Tell me what I should do," she said finally.

He thought carefully for a moment. "I believe you should take some time to consider all of this. You will go to your room tonight and speak to no one, except perhaps Jane, about any of this. Your mother will not be allowed to speak to you, nor your sisters either." He glared at the door as he spoke. "Then return here to see me tomorrow morning and we will speak further."

Elizabeth spent almost the entire night without the benefit of sleep. Her choices were becoming rapidly more clear to her, if they could be called choices in any sense of the word.

She would not allow herself to dwell on the steps that had brought her to this point. She ought to have listened to Darcy earlier, when he had predicted how her reputation would suffer, and perhaps have accepted him then. Even before then, she should have been more careful with her reputation and never accepted a letter from him to begin with. But those actions were now behind her, and she had to think clearly about the future she would now face.

Life with her cousin or a life with Darcy—what a choice to be made!

She had never imagined that her father might send her to Mr. Collins. To have this possibility presented was a shock, and she found that the very thought made her shrink inside herself. She had, of course, recently spent a number of weeks in her cousin's home, and as an honored guest, she had enjoyed her time there. But to return as a member of the household itself, under these circumstances—that would be unbearable. She could scarcely imagine the groveling servility she would be forced to display to Lady Catherine whenever they met, nor did she think she would always be able to keep her less flattering thoughts about Mr. Collins or her ladyship to herself. And Mr. Collins would think of her, and no doubt treat her, as his poor and unfortunate cousin. She would be pitied and tolerated, and occasionally indulged, but she could never be accepted as a real member of the home.

Marriage with Darcy, however repulsive on its own, must be at least more attractive than this. Darcy did not love her, but she felt, from what she knew of him, that he would at least be fair in his dealings with her, and while she could fairly accuse him of pride and arrogance, at least he did not display the same level of offensive behavior so often displayed by her own family. She would be mistress of her own home, in charge of many of its daily affairs, and able to use her new position to help her family. Best of all, as her father pointed out, her marriage to Darcy would be of immediate assistance to Jane..

If she accepted a future with Darcy, would _he_ accept a future with _her_? She had already rejected him twice. When she had last seen him in London he had indicated that he would marry her, if that became necessary. But he had no real obligation to do so, and she could only hope he had not changed his mind.

To promote her family or else to contribute to its ridicule; to be the cause of Jane's happiness or the source of her fresh misery—these were the only issues left to decide. Once she thought of it in that light, she knew what she must do. She found that she could face her future well enough, if she could but help those she loved.

In the morning, as soon as she knew her father was up, she looked at Jane, with whom she had spoken most of the night, and gave her a brave smile. Then she went to her father's study. As she knocked and entered she saw that he was just finishing writing a letter. She waited while he wrapped the letter in its envelope and sealed it shut, and then he looked up at her gravely.

"Elizabeth, I rose early this morning in order to write the two letters which you now see. I think you will be able to guess the contents of each one by the name on the envelope, but I will make them clear to you nonetheless. This letter," he tapped the one he had just sealed, "is to your cousin Collins, asking for you to receive sanctuary in his home. It appeals to his sense of charity, to his duty as a clergyman, and to Lady Catherine's best interests. If he receives it, I believe he will do his best for you. I trust this option is one that will leave you as content as possible under the circumstances." He paused, but Elizabeth merely looked at him. She gave him no indication of what she was thinking.

"This other letter," here he indicated an envelope she had not yet noticed, "is to Darcy, requesting that he wait on me immediately. We must hope, if he receives it, that he will not have changed his mind since last week. If he responds, we will know what he means to do." Again he paused, but Elizabeth said nothing.

"I am going to leave both letters on my desk, and then I shall go to breakfast. When I come back, whichever letter is still on my desk is the letter I shall post at once. You may do as you like with the other."

"And this is all you can do for me, father?" Elizabeth asked him one last time, desperate for reassurance. "You can offer no other assistance?"

"My dear, we are all prisoners of circumstances, myself no less than you. All we can do is make the best of them, and perhaps pretend that they are what we would have chosen for ourselves, if given the chance." He came close and kissed her on the forehead. "I shall return in one hour."

Elizabeth sat in her father's study for several minutes after he had left, but she would not allow herself to shirk her duty for long. If this was to be her future, she would do her best to meet it without fear. Nevertheless, feeling disappointment of the acutest kind, she took one envelope from her father's desk to the nearest lamp and thrust it into the flame, holding it until only the smallest piece of charred white paper remained. This she threw down onto the empty hearth. The other letter she left untouched. Without looking behind her, she left the room.

When Mr. Bennet returned to the study some time later, he went immediately to his desk and picked up the letter that remained upon it. The name on the envelope read simply, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pemberley.


	9. Chapter Eight

**A/N: This is becoming so much fun to write! Thank you for all your reviews, and for your best wishes for my recovery. I am pretty much as good as new! - Elaine**

Elizabeth waited in an agony of suspense for the next two days, wondering if Darcy would indeed return to Hertfordshire in response to her father's summons. If he did not return, there would be nothing she could do to save her reputation, and she wondered if her father would truly insist on her removal to the Collins' household if that happened. But in the afternoon of the second day, her mother announced that a tall, handsome man was approaching the house on a fine bay. "I do believe, Lizzie, that this may be your young gentleman. It certainly looks like Mr. Darcy from here. I am sure nobody else could sit his horse as well as he! You should make yourself ready to see him."

Elizabeth had no idea how to ready herself to see a suitor when the outcome of his suit was already determined, so she chose to simply retreat to her room and await the inevitable summons from her father. Certainly the few moments of privacy were better than sitting in the drawing room with her mother and sisters, when four of the five were frankly staring at her. Jane alone gave her an encouraging, supportive look as she left, and she returned the look with one of gratitude.

She wondered which Darcy was now speaking with her father. Was it the overbearing and haughty Darcy who had first proposed to her at Hunsford, the resentful Darcy from the park, or the Darcy who had been solicitous of her and her family on Gracechurch Street? Whichever Darcy had arrived, the time for angry accusations, intemperate words, and stubborn silences was past. If this man was to be her husband, she would do well to be as congenial to him as possible. He had once, not so long ago, professed an ardent love for her; perhaps she could once again inspire some sort of affection in him, despite the fact that they were now being thrust together under circumstances not of their choosing.

She had not long to wait before Mrs. Hill came to her room, and Elizabeth followed her without protest to her father's study, the same room where she had finally accepted her inevitable fate just two days earlier. Both her father and Darcy stood as she entered, looking as though they had been in earnest conversation.

* * *

><p>Darcy had not been at all surprised to receive the summons to Longbourn, although he had expected it to come from Elizabeth and not her father, but the author of the letter made no difference in what he planned to do. After scanning the brief note, he put his plan into action. He began by writing several letters of his own. Then he called his valet, Dawson, to attend to him.<p>

"I have matters of great importance to complete, Dawson, but I shall be leaving for Hertfordshire first thing in the morning. I would like you to read these letters, see that they are delivered tomorrow, and then follow up on them as needed."

"Of course, sir," was the expected response, and Dawson took the first letter and began to absorb its contents. The only sign of any surprise he may have felt was in one eyebrow that suddenly rose up impressively. "May I offer you my congratulations, sir?"

"I thank you, but your congratulations may wait until the marriage actually occurs."

The letter was to the Darcy family solicitor, directing him to arrange a marriage settlement for the bride he would be taking, he hoped, in three months or less. Elizabeth would not come to him as a poor relation, he had decided, nor would he allow her to be made to feel inferior by a lack of anything that was customary for people of his situation in life. The amount he directed his solicitor to settle on her would make his respect for her apparent when she learned of it.

Dawson took up the second letter. This was to Darcy's banker, making him aware of the pending arrangements with his solicitor and authorizing him to act in those interests. He also made Mr. Stone aware that the parure currently in his stewardship would be required shortly. Mr. Stone was directed to have the various pieces inspected, repaired if necessary, and cleaned before they were requested by Darcy's valet, who would thereafter hold them at Darcy house until the day of the wedding.

"I shall oversee this matter for you entirely, sir," Dawson promised upon finishing reading.

"I thank you." Darcy gave Dawson a few other items to address while he was away, and then turned his attention to one final matter. "You may send Jenkins in to see me now."

Jenkins had lost his desire to continue in her ladyship's service after Lucy had been abruptly terminated, and he had applied to Darcy house to see if there was any chance of a position being offered to him there. Darcy felt that such a solution was fitting and appropriate. Lady Catherine's actions toward Lucy had been peremptory and brutally unfair, and giving Jenkins a position in his household would be a way to make amends. It might also make it possible for him and Lucy to marry, due to the more generous wages Darcy paid.

He called Jenkins in, spoke with him briefly, and then told him he could tender his resignation to Lady Catherine at his earliest convenience. Jenkins planned to give a month's notice, but Darcy strongly suspected that he would be terminated upon communicating his plans. If that happened, Darcy assured him, he would be employed at Darcy house immediately, and need not fear any loss of income. Jenkins expressed his warmest appreciation over and over again, and it was some time before Darcy was able to complete his other preparations and retire for the night.

He had planned and carried out all of these steps with deliberate care. Elizabeth's reputation had suffered by his hand, and he would do everything necessary to repair it, for this was his duty as a gentleman. He would allow no other emotion to enter into his thoughts, no eager anticipation, no hope that their relationship might be more than polite partners managing a household together. Throughout his ride to Hertfordshire, his approach to Longbourn, and even his conversation with Mr. Bennet, he remained utterly detached from any sentimentality.

But when Elizabeth appeared in the door of her father's study, Darcy suddenly felt again all the force of the tender emotions he had expressed when he first proposed, and he realized that no matter how she little she felt for him, his own feelings were quite different. They were, in fact, quite the opposite.

* * *

><p>"Good day, Mr. Darcy," she said as she curtsied. He returned the ceremonious greeting with a bow, wearing a serious expression, and Elizabeth could not immediately read anything in his face. She noticed that despite his recent arrival from town, he was impeccably dressed in a dark brown suit, and she decided that he must have stopped somewhere along the way to remove the dust from his boots before entering Longbourn.<p>

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Bennet."

"I am certain that the pleasure is mine," she replied automatically, doing her best to offer a smile that would not reveal the turmoil within.

"Mr. Darcy has asked for a private audience with you, Lizzie. I am certain you will wish to accommodate him."

Elizabeth glanced at her father, who was watching them both with frank curiosity. She did not want to have this conversation in front of him. Darcy, too, appeared hesitant. "Shall we take a walk outside, Miss Bennet?" he asked.

She agreed, received her father's consent, then turned and led Darcy out of doors, glancing up at the windows of the house as they passed by the front. Mrs. Bennet had pushed aside a bit of curtain in order to look out and observe them, and she saw four feminine heads peering around and under her arm. No, there were five-Mrs. Hill had apparently joined in to view the spectacle. No doubt they all thought they were being discreet, but Elizabeth hoped that Darcy was not an observant man. "We have a fine garden on the back side of the house, Mr. Darcy, if you would care to see it," she offered. And, she thought, the trees on that side would also block the view from the windows.

Darcy's eyes followed hers to the window, then came back to her face. "A walk in the garden would be most refreshing, Miss Bennet. I would be pleased to accompany you." He held out his arm for her to take and she slipped her hand into it, wondering as she did so how many times in the future she might repeat that exact same action. They walked slowly together to the gate of the picket fence that surrounded the garden and passed inside. Elizabeth decided to break the silence first.

"You appear to have come here directly from town, Mr. Darcy."

"Yes, I arrived as swiftly as I could after receiving your father's request."

"It was good of you to come so quickly. I was not expecting such a swift response. You saved us many anxious hours of worry."

Darcy looked at her with a cautious expression. "Were you afraid that I would not come?"

"It was a possibility. You have no real obligation, after all."

"Upon my honor as a gentleman, I am completely obligated. I am relieved to know that I am now allowed to perform my duty."

"Yes, I suppose you have your wish at last," Elizabeth answered lightly, trying to relieve the awkward tension between them.

Darcy frowned. "You are mistaken, Miss Bennet. This is not what I wished for at all."

Elizabeth's heart sank. Jane and her aunt had both insisted that Darcy's affection would have withstood the test of two rejected proposals, and she had not been without hope that they were correct. But his simple statement seemed to prove that she had been correct in her thinking after all. She looked away, trying to ignore a feeling of sharp disappointment.

"Miss Bennet—no, that will not serve at all," he stopped himself. "It seems oddly formal for a couple who are going to be married to use titles, especially when they are alone. May I have your permission to call you Elizabeth?" She nodded her agreement, and he continued.

"Elizabeth, if we are truly to be husband and wife, I believe we will need to have open, honest, and direct communications at all times. Anything less will not serve us well. Pray tell me, what made you change your mind and allow your father to contact me? What happened to convince you to consider accepting me?"

"You were correct, sir," she replied, "in your predictions about the growth of gossip and speculation against my reputation. When we first returned to Longbourn there was no evidence of any of it, but it has become more apparent since Tuesday, when we attended a dinner party at Lucas Lodge. There were many comments made to me at that time, and there have been many made since then as well. Even Bingley, who at first seemed so eager to speak to Jane again, has not—" she stopped short, realizing that Darcy might not know anything about Bingley's return to Hertfordshire yet.

"Bingley has come back?" Darcy asked, seeming unsurprised by the news.

"Yes, he returned the same day Jane and I did, though of course we did not know he was planning any such action. He singled Jane out for attention at services on Sunday and again on Tuesday evening, and he called on my father on Monday besides. But we have not seen him since then."

"I thought he would come back," Darcy stated. "I believed that he would, when I spoke to him in town last week."

"Then do we have you to thank for his return?"

"I would like to think so." He stopped walking for a moment and faced her directly, with her hand still on his arm. "Elizabeth, I have come to realize the truth of what you told me that day in Hunsford, when you accused me of ruining your sister's happiness. I have come to regret that I carried out actions that were so far beneath me, by concealing your sister's presence in town and interfering in Bingley's feelings for her. Please allow me to express my sincere regrets for the distress I caused."

"Mr. Darcy!" Elizabeth said, startled. She looked into his face, seeking out signs of resentment or anger, and found only contrition. He was utterly sincere. The unexpected humility made her wish to reassure him.

"I had already forgiven you for that interference, sir, and you have done what you can to mend the situation by confessing the truth to Bingley. If the situation is to be rectified now, it will be by the actions of others, and not ourselves. You have done what you can. You must not think anything more about it."

"You are too kind," Darcy answered, looking, she thought, a little relieved. After a moment he faced forward again and they resumed their turn about the garden, still walking slowly.

"It occurs to me, Elizabeth, that you may have questions about your role as my wife, if we are to proceed to an engagement. Is there any information you would like to know, anything that might reassure you as to the wisdom of the step you are taking?"

The question pleased her in that it showed his consideration for her comfort. "There are many questions in my mind, but I hardly know where to even start. I would be grateful to hear any information you think I should have."

He nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer. "Pemberley, as you may know, is a large estate, probably encompassing much more land than Longbourn. It has been in my family for generations, and as its mistress, the care of the house would become entirely your responsibility. Besides Pemberley, there is also the house in town, which would likewise be under your care, and I also have some small holdings in the north of Scotland which I visit once a year. The majority of our time would be spent at Pemberley, with several weeks in town each season. If you choose to accompany me to Scotland, you will be welcome there as well. Is this arrangement agreeable to you?"

"I daresay a house in town, and Pemberley besides, would together be quite charming," she replied with a trace of her arch manner. "Together, it might be enough to tempt me to accept."

He seemed to realize she was teasing him. "You would, of course, be expected to act as hostess at all social events. We have not had many of those since my father passed but I expect that would change with you in residence. You will be provided with substantial pin money in order to purchase gowns and whatever else you would need for such occasions, in accordance with your new standing."

She nodded, her mind whirling with the possibilities.

"You will have your own suite of rooms at Pemberley and Darcy House, which you may of course redecorate as you like, without any funds coming from your pin money. You may consider that part of my wedding gift to you."

Elizabeth was startled by the mention of the suites of rooms. Without thinking she asked, "Are you planning on separate suites at all times? Will this be a marriage of convenience, sir?"

Darcy stopped and faced her once again. "This is the only marriage I will ever enter into, and Pemberley needs an heir. I intend to treat you as my wife in every respect."

She could feel a deep blush seep into her cheeks and felt more mortified than ever before. She had not meant to touch on such a personal subject. "I understand. I only want to make certain that we are communicating clearly, in order to avoid any further misunderstandings in the future."

Darcy searched her face. "Then this will not be a hindrance? If it is, you must tell me so at once."

"It will not be a hindrance," she replied quietly, looking away. "You may rely on me performing my duty."

"I do not believe you will find your duty distasteful, once we have had the opportunity to become more comfortable with each other," he answered. Seeming to sense her discomfort, he began to walk again, but this time he placed his free hand over the hand that had been resting on his arm.

"I wish you might tell me more about Miss Darcy," Elizabeth said after a minute, breaking the awkward silence. "All I know of her has come from your letter and from what Wickham told me, and I know he is not a faithful reporter."

"And how did Wickham describe my sister?" Darcy asked, his brow furrowing.

Elizabeth hesitated, but she remembered Darcy's request for honest communications. "His report was mostly favorable, but he did describe her as being exceedingly proud."

"You correctly guess that Wickham has described her wrongly." Darcy's voice took on a tender tone she had not previously heard. "Georgiana is best described as painfully shy. She has always been so, no doubt because of losing our parents at such a young age, but since her encounter with Wickham her shyness has increased. I would be pleased if you would use your influence on her to raise her confidence as she begins to enter society."

"I will do what I can," Elizabeth answered, wondering exactly how to accomplish such a thing. "Does she spend her time at Pemberley, or in town?"

"She prefers to be at Pemberley, owing to her discomfort with strangers."

"And shall I meet her soon?"

"I will ensure that the two of you are able to meet before our wedding."

"If you believe that I can be of some assistance to her, then of course I shall put myself at her disposal. I do, after all, have four sisters already; I ought to be able to be a sister a fifth time."

"I believe, Elizabeth, that you have all of the qualities needed to be a most admirable sister to Georgiana."

Elizabeth felt all the force of the compliment offered, and murmured her appreciation. It was gratifying to know that Darcy had maintained at least some respect for her, despite their tumultuous relationship so far. Perhaps, with respect as its foundation, her marriage with Darcy would be at least as tolerable as that of her parents; perhaps it could even be more than tolerable.

Darcy cleared his throat. "Have I settled all of the most relevant topics to your satisfaction? Are there any other matters you wish to raise?"

"I cannot think of any other questions at this moment," she answered, her heart pounding.

"Then, may I say that we have an agreement?"

Elizabeth allowed her voice to take on a lightly teasing tone. "Mr. Darcy, you make this sound more like a business arrangement than an offer of marriage!"

"I apologize, Miss Bennet," Darcy answered. "Please allow me to restate the question." He stopped and looked down at her cautiously, but she could see that there was a nervousness there as well. Had it been present before? She could not immediately recall, for Darcy was taking both of her hands in his. He paused, then plunged ahead. "Miss Bennet, under the terms as I have described them, would you do me the great honor of agreeing to be my wife?"

"I am pleased to accept your proposal, Mr. Darcy," she answered, feeling more than the usual awkwardness she had expected at such a time. She desperately hoped that nobody from the house had found another way to be watching them at just this moment.

"It is customary for an engaged couple to refer to each by first name," he told her, not in his usual sedate tone. "Please, call me Fitzwilliam, at least when we are alone."

"I accept your proposal, Fitzwilliam," she replied, trying to demonstrate that she was willing to follow his lead.

"I thank you." He hesitated briefly, then leaned down abruptly and brushed his lips against her cheek. When she looked up at him again the look of satisfaction on his face allowed her to think that perhaps marriage to Mr. Darcy might not be quite as unpleasant as she had feared.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I hope you like this chapter as much as you seem to have enjoyed the previous ones. The plot thickens! Please leave lots of reviews—communicating with readers is the whole point of writing, and you all make it so very pleasant! Gracias a todos que me han communicado en espanol! Les aprecio mas que pueden saber!**

**Summary of events so far: Darcy proposed to Elizabeth, she refused, and the letter he wrote her after that then fell into the hands of servants, who read it before passing it on to Lady Catherine. Elizabeth was sent away immediately. Darcy met with her in London and told her that the gossip would make it necessary for them to marry, but she refused his proposal again. Back at Longbourn, the gossip became apparent, forcing Elizabeth to confess everything to her father. He told her she could marry Darcy or else live with Mr. Collins in order to deflect the damage. She finally agreed, and Mr. Bennet summoned Darcy. He proposed again, and this time she consented.**

By mutual consent Darcy and Elizabeth left the garden and made their way back to the front door of Longbourn, with their hearts and minds too full for conversation. Elizabeth stopped on the steps and looked at Darcy.

"You have been very kind today, sir, and as generous as possible, but I must ask that you not return with me inside the house at this time. You would do well to allow me to make the necessary announcements to my family."

"I must return, at least to take my leave," Darcy objected.

"True, but as you have seen in the past, my family's enthusiasm is sometimes greater than their discretion. You may not wish to hear all that they will have to say on this subject."

Darcy frowned. "I disagree. As a married couple we will have many uncomfortable situations to face together. There is no reason not to start that process now. I would be happy to assist you in conveying the news of our engagement."

"Their reactions can be quite embarrassing, sir, even to someone well familiar with them. I fear your dignity might not survive the experience," she said, with a smile.

"All the more reason you should be supported at such a time," he answered firmly. Seeing that he was not to be convinced otherwise, Elizabeth led him back into the house.

A general commotion and quick movement of feet was heard overhead as they entered the door. Elizabeth had momentarily forgotten about her mother and sisters watching at the window, but they clearly had not left their self-appointed post. Since they would be arriving downstairs en masse momentarily, destroying any sense of peace or order, Elizabeth sought out her father in his study, with Darcy alongside.

As they entered the study Mr. Bennet rose to receive them. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but to her surprise, Darcy spoke first.

"Mr. Bennet, your daughter has done me the great honor of agreeing to be my wife. I must now apply for your permission to marry her."

"This is not exactly a surprise, is it?" Mr. Bennet commented. "I wonder at your even asking."

"I prefer to observe the formalities whenever possible," Darcy responded stiffly.

Mr. Bennet looked at his daughter. "Elizabeth, is this your choice, your decision? You will willingly marry this man, tie your fortunes to his, and spend the rest of your life with him?"

"I have made my choice, papa, as you well know. I shall not change my mind now."

"Then you hardly need ask me, though it is good of you to think of it. Take her, Mr. Darcy. You have my permission. It is not something I would dare to refuse at this time in any case. If Lizzie can say in six months' time that you have treated her well, then you shall have my blessing as well. You may go now." He sat back down, indicating that their interview was over.

"Shall we not discuss a date, sir?" Darcy asked, glancing at Elizabeth.

"The date signifies nothing at all, as long as Lizzie and her mother can agree on it. Tell me when and where to appear in church and I shall be there. That is all that matters to me." He took up the daily paper, opened it, and made as if he were about to start reading. "And I would prefer to see the marriage contract on my desk in three days. We can discuss any other pressing matters then," he added, almost as an afterthought. Waving a dismissive hand in their general direction, he began reading.

Darcy's lips tightened and he looked as if he might speak, but a silent entreaty from Elizabeth stopped him. She was appalled that her father had been so abrupt; perhaps the situation upset him more than she had previously thought. Knowing the brief conversation was over, she turned to face the entrance to the study.

"Unless I am very much mistaken, Mr. Darcy," she said in a low tone, "my mother is on the other side of that door, attempting to hear everything within. Please allow me to tell her the news myself."

"You are not going to ask for her permission as well?"

"I think you will see, sir, that her permission will be one thing I do not need to seek out."

"I shall submit to your superior knowledge of the subject, then," Darcy answered. Elizabeth took a deep breath, opened the door, and she and Darcy passed through.

Her mother and sisters all sat primly in the parlor, with needlework, books, or hats in hand, just as though they had all been sitting there the whole time. Not a thread was out of place, nor a dropped knitting needle on the floor, although Elizabeth did notice that the book which Mary held in her hands was completely upside down. If she and Darcy had not passed through that same room just two minutes previously, she would have thought that they had been there all day.

Five sets of eyes looked up at her and Darcy as they emerged from her father's study. All of her sisters were there, and Mrs. Hill hovered covertly in the doorway. One announcement, therefore, would do for all. "Mama, and my sisters," Elizabeth began, hardly believing her own words, "Mr. Darcy and I would like to inform you that we have agreed to be married. Papa has just given his consent, and we are engaged."

However much Mrs. Bennet may have been expecting to hear exactly this news, she still managed to demonstrate an impressive level of surprise and delight now that it had actually come. She sat silent for several moments, eyes perfectly round and visibly gasping for breath. It was Jane rose to embrace her sister and to warmly welcome Darcy to the family. He accepted her thanks with all possible graciousness.

"Clothes!" was the first word out of Mrs. Bennet's mouth, when she had regained her powers of speech. "We shall have to buy clothes for you, Lizzie! Such a handsome man Mr. Darcy is, and so tall! We must make sure that you look your best when you appear with him in public. Your looks now will not do at all."

"Mama!" said Elizabeth urgently, not daring to look at Darcy. Must her family display their impressive ability to embarrass her quite this quickly?

Kitty and Lydia began to giggle between themselves and then to laugh out loud as they turned to stare at Darcy. "It is such a joke!" Lydia was heard to say, not bothering to contain her mirth. "Good Lord, can you believe in such a joke!"

Mary, silent until now, rose from her chair and approached the new couple.

"May I offer you my sincerest congratulations upon your engagement, Elizabeth?" Elizabeth thanked her, and she continued solemnly. "You have set an admirable example for the rest of us to follow. Marriage is an honorable estate and much to be desired, and, it appears, very necessary for you under the circumstances. It is good of you to put aside your own wishes, and carry out what is needed for the saving of the family name." Elizabeth absorbed all this as well as she could, not daring to look at Darcy for his reaction.

"Oh!" Mrs. Bennet added. "Of course, I congratulate you, Lizzie, and Mr. Darcy I congratulate you as well. We are delighted, I am sure. But Lizzie, we must think about buying you wedding clothes at once! And Mr. Darcy, will you stay for supper? We have a fine, fat venison haunch ready to make up, just for you!"

Darcy's face had lost the relative openness he had displayed when he and Elizabeth were alone. He did not look at any of the sisters but Jane, and he completely ignored Mrs. Bennet's continued cries of delight. "I thank you, but I am hoping to stay at Netherfield tonight. Since Bingley is not expecting me, I feel it is incumbent upon me to call on him at once."

"Of course, we understand completely!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. "But do say that you will come again tomorrow, and stay much longer! And you must bring your friends with you when you do. Mr. Bingley must also come with you, and Miss Bingley too, if she wants."

"I should be very surprised if Bingley does not choose to accompany me the next time I visit," Darcy said, looking at Jane, who looked away. "I may not speak for him, but I believe that you will see us both again soon. Until then, I will bid you good day." He took up his coat and hat, preparing to leave.

"Lizzie, you should walk your young man out," Mrs. Bennet said pointedly, and her daughter quickly agreed, wishing for nothing more than a rapid escape from her family. They went out the front door together and stood waiting while Darcy's horse was brought around.

Elizabeth glanced at Darcy, whose lip was now curled in the look of disdain she had seen him wear so many times before. Irritation rose in her. Her family could be difficult to manage, clearly, but must he make his feelings so plain? Could he not exert himself to a little more cordiality with them, as he had done with her aunt and uncle? Yet her present arrangement with Darcy was too new, and her feelings too raw, to allow her to raise the topic at once. While she was still wondering if she dared address the subject, the horse's reins were given to Darcy and he turned to face her. She saw that his face had relaxed again.

"Your mother has made it clear that my presence would be welcome here tomorrow," he said, "but I do not know _your_ feelings on the subject. Might I have the privilege of calling on you? There is a great deal that we need to begin planning. We will, for instance, need to settle on a wedding date as soon as possible."

Elizabeth realized that from now on, she and Darcy would be much in company together, even before they were married. Her life was now changed irrevocably, and she would need to remember that her time and activities were no longer entirely her own. "You will be welcome to Longbourn at any time," she answered. "But," she added lightly, one eyebrow arching, "to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Once my mother has you in the house, she will be reluctant to let you leave again, particularly if Mr. Bingley comes with you."

"I shall look forward to you rescuing me, then," he answered with a slight smile.

Just before taking his seat on the horse, Darcy looked at Elizabeth one last time, his face becoming more somber. "I appreciate the magnitude of the decision you have made today. I understand the changes that it will bring to your life, how completely every aspect of your future will now be transformed. Please allow me to say that I will do my best to ensure that you do not regret your choice."

Elizabeth thanked him, hardly knowing where to look. Despite his earlier statement, when he had said that marrying her was not what he wanted, the warmth in his eyes suggested that he did not entirely dislike the situation. "I trust that neither of us will have reasons for regret," was all she could bring herself to say. Darcy then took his seat and rode away, Elizabeth watching him until he was out of sight. She then braced herself to return to the house.

Inside Longbourn itself, all was confusion and noise.

"Attend to me, Hill!" Mrs. Bennet's shrill voice was plain throughout the first floor. "I must go to my sister Phillips and to Lady Lucas at once! They will never believe this news when I tell them!" She had apparently forgotten that her first intelligence on the subject had come from just those same two ladies. "What fine carriages you shall have, Lizzie, and so many servants! Such pin money! Such jewels! I can hardly wait to tell it all, I shall be quite distracted! Bring out my new hat, Hill, and I shall want my very best shawl as well. Make haste, make haste!"

An event of such a magnitude as her second daughter being engaged, and engaged to a man of some consequence, was too much for Mrs. Bennet to ignore. However, speaking with Elizabeth herself about the event did not cross her mind. Nor did she require Elizabeth's presence in order to share her good fortune with half the neighborhood. She departed very quickly for her chosen destinations. Kitty and Lydia went with her in order to have a chance of seeing Denny and the other officers. Mary went to practice the piano, and Jane and Elizabeth were finally left to speak to each other as freely as they wanted.

"Are you happy, Elizabeth?" was Jane's first question as she looked anxiously at her sister. "You look more settled in your expression than I had expected you to be at this moment."

"I cannot properly express my feelings just now," was Elizabeth's reply, "for I hardly know them. The surprise, the embarrassment, the newness of it all—everything is a jumble inside me; I cannot sort it out at all."

"I hope Mr. Darcy was not unkind to you?"

"No, not at all. He was everything proper, and perfectly amiable, or at least as amiable as he could be under the circumstances. It was, of course, exceedingly awkward, especially at first."

"Was he as amiable as he was at our aunt and uncle's house? Just as attentive, and just as kind?"

"I could find nothing to criticize in him. I believe that so long as our parents and sisters are not nearby, to say nothing of our ridiculous cousin, it is possible to see a better side of Mr. Darcy."

"Perhaps in time he will grow more used to them. I know you will not like to be separated from _most_ of your relatives."

"There may be times in the future when a reasonable distance from Longbourn will be an advantage," Elizabeth admitted, thinking of her family's actions just a few minutes previously. "But as you know, Mr. Darcy has already made it clear to me that he will tolerate our family at Pemberley occasionally, if necessary, as the price of his folly. I suppose that is the best I can hope for."

Elizabeth's voice had taken on a fair imitation of Darcy's condescending tone as she repeated his words, and Jane shook her head.

"I am certain, Elizabeth, that you will be allowed to see your family as much as you want, even if it is not always at Pemberley. Mr. Darcy does not seem an ill-tempered man."

"There is at least one immediate benefit to my being engaged to Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth told her, smiling. "It appears that you shall be able to look forward to seeing Mr. Bingley tomorrow, if he is correct. He said he will call, and that Mr. Bingley will most likely accompany him." She was surprised to see a sudden shadow cross her sister's face. "Does this not please you, Jane?"

Jane appeared to struggle to answer the question. She looked away from Elizabeth with an expression that betrayed her unsettled feelings, and her voice did not have its usual gentle tone when she replied. "Of course it will be pleasant to see Mr. Bingley again. His disposition is so free and open, and so desirous to please, that it would be difficult not to feel much the same in his presence. But I find, Lizzie, that I have reason now to doubt his affection for me."

"To doubt his affection? You cannot be in earnest. I have never seen a man so much in love with anyone as he is with you!"

"Is he, truly, Lizzie? For I have now had reason to doubt him twice."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"From all that I have seen and read and heard described, a true affection does not waver when it encounters obstacles. It is said to carry on in the face of adversity, and perhaps even to grow much stronger because of it. But this is not how Mr. Bingley has behaved towards me."

"His affections seem very constant to me," Elizabeth answered stoutly, not liking the direction Jane's thoughts were taking. "The first time he left, it was done by the persuasion of friends and family that _you_ did not care for _him_, not because his feelings for you wavered. And as to the second time, he had to be aware of the implications for his family of being any further involved with us. His place in society is not as secure as he would no doubt like."

"And yet a true affection, a most heartfelt devotion, would not allow such an impediment, would it? Or else it would hardly deserve the name."

Elizabeth looked at her sister carefully. "You did not feel this way in January, when you followed him to town."

"At that time I was willing to believe that he simply did not care for me in the way I had hoped for at all, and that knowledge, combined with his sister's very understandable disapproval, made his actions reasonable. Then he returned, and made his feelings so plain that they could not be overlooked."

"There you see how it is. As soon as he thought he might have mistaken your feelings, he returned."

"And yet, after just one evening of hearing rumors about us, he has left again," Jane responded, her voice betraying her hurt.

"There may be some other reason he has not come calling," Elizabeth said, trying to convince herself. "It has only been three days."

"You do not truly believe that," Jane told her, and Elizabeth could not argue with her. She almost stared instead. To see her sister actually thinking of criticizing someone she cared for, instead of seeing the best in them, was a novel and unexpected development. "I cannot believe this! Jane, are you saying you would refuse Mr. Bingley, if he were to make you an offer now?"

"I do not know what I would do," Jane answered, with tears beginning to form in her eyes. "All I know is that, like you, I had hoped to marry for nothing but the deepest love. While Mr. Bingley is certainly the most pleasing gentleman I have ever met, I am not certain if his affection for me matches mine for him. This cannot be a strong foundation for a marriage."

"Dearest Jane," was all that Elizabeth could answer immediately, feeling for her sister almost as much as she did for herself. She wished she could give her sister more comforting words, but Jane's feelings echoed her own so closely that her heart was not in it, and she could only give her a warm embrace by way of consolation. She did not have Jane's gift of finding the best possible interpretation of the behavior of others, a gift which had apparently failed Jane herself in this instance.

Truly, she thought, Bingley _had_ shown a certain weakness of character, a willingness to follow the designs of others, which did not bode well for the future. She could not honestly defend him. If he really felt an abiding affection for her sister then nothing, she thought, ought to be enough to deter him from declaring himself. Darcy had not wavered in this way, she realized. His behavior had been superior to Bingley's, in that he had remained constant in his desire to marry her, no matter what the outward circumstances, and yet she was still uncertain about his feelings.

The sisters continued sitting in a thoughtful silence.

"Mr. Darcy's affections for you remain unchanged, do they not?" Jane eventually asked, as if she had read her mind. "He seemed happy to be in your presence. He has not allowed anything to stop him from declaring _his_ wishes."

"Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley are two very different people, Jane. You must not compare the two in that way."

"But he does maintain his attachment to you," Jane insisted. "It is plain that he does."

"No, Jane." Elizabeth shook her head in resignation. "Mr. Darcy did not speak of any affection for me. In fact, he said that marriage to me was not what he wished for at all. His continued desire to marry me is from a gentleman's sense of obligation, and that is the only reason he came here to Longbourn. I am afraid, dear sister, that my chance for a real love match is gone forever. But if Mr. Darcy and I can be as civil in our marriage as we have been so far in our engagement, it may not be so bad as I had thought. I am determined to make the best of it."

Jane smiled wistfully at her. "Perhaps, in the end, that is what we will both have to do."

* * *

><p>Bingley was his usual friendly, eager self when Darcy was announced into his library, direct from leaving Longbourn. "Darcy!" he exclaimed, rising to greet him with a warm handshake. "It is a pleasure to see you again. What brings you back to Hertfordshire? I had not thought you were planning on leaving town any time soon."<p>

"I have rather surprising news, Bingley, and I thought to share it with you first."

"With me?"

"Yes, as it concerns you somewhat."

"Then I am eager to hear it."

Darcy tried to keep his voice even, but a certain pride crept into it even so. "I have just become engaged to be married."

Bingley's eyebrows shot up. "You are engaged? That is marvelous news, and I am delighted for you. But how does it concern me?"

"Part of it touches on the conversation I had with you last week. I believe you will not like some of what I am about to tell you. This may take some time, and for this reason, I am come directly to you." Bingley looked at him quizzically.

"My time is at your disposal, for whatever you wish to tell me. You have raised my curiosity considerably. Please, sit down." As Darcy took his seat, Bingley called for refreshments to be served. They waited until the servant had left before Bingley started the conversation.

"Who is your intended wife? Am I fortunate enough to be acquainted with the lady?"

"My intended wife is Miss Bennet," Darcy began, not without apprehension. "Miss _Elizabeth_ Bennet," he quickly amended, seeing the look on Bingley's face. "I have just been to Longbourn, and received her father's consent. I hope that we will set the date shortly. " He braced himself for the reaction he knew was coming.

Bingley's face was a study in astonishment, and for a moment he could not speak. Finally, he said, slowly, "I cannot believe you; I do not believe you— and yet I must, if you say it is true. I congratulate you, yet I would never have thought you would join yourself to someone so far beneath you."

"She is not beneath me at all," Darcy answered. "Pray do not speak of my intended that way."

"But her family, her connections," Bingley responded in confusion. "You said they were not good enough even for me! You advised me against making an offer for Jane!"

"I did do so, and I was wrong, completely wrong. As I said to you last week in town, I should never have tried to interfere."

"I do not understand. When did you come to realize you had feelings for Miss Elizabeth? And how did you overcome the objections which you yourself made to me?"

"I felt a strong attraction to her in the fall, here at Netherfield, when you and I first met the Bennet family. I contemplated making her an offer then, but did not do so, due to the reasons I listed for you before."

"I am amazed! You felt such a strong connection with her, even then? You gave no hint of it!"

"I took care that no one should know, since a union seemed so impossible at the time. I hardly admitted it even to myself. But then I encountered her again at my aunt's house in Kent, while she was visiting her cousin, and I was swept away by the effect she had on me once more. I had no choice. My feelings would not be held back. I had to make her an offer, or else be forever miserable."

Bingley's look of surprise had begun to change to one of delight. "Forgive me, Darcy, for doubting you. Your feelings do you credit. Miss Elizabeth is a divine creature, to be sure, and very charming indeed. You will be one of the happiest couples in England."

"I hope we may be, but there are circumstances you do not yet know. When I proposed to her in Kent , she refused me."

"She refused!"

"Yes, and our discussion after that became rather intemperate. In my anger, with a desire to correct certain information she had been given about me, I wrote her a letter, part of which was later recovered by my aunt. You know enough of my aunt's disposition, and my character, to guess at the rest."

"So those rumors of a letter, which I heard at Lucas Lodge, were true," Bingley said, looking thoughtful. "I had not thought that they could be, since you had so strongly urged me against allying with such a family."

"Her family remains the same," Darcy said heavily, "and yet, the engagement is made. We will be married."

Bingley remained silent, with his brow furrowed.

"You have my deepest apologies again, Bingley. When I spoke with you in town last week, as you may imagine, I was already contemplating this step, knowing that Miss Elizabeth's reputation would come under attack sooner or later. But I did not wish to say anything more to you than what I did without being certain of the lady's acceptance first."

Bingley appeared to rouse himself.

"This is astonishing! I cannot believe that _you_ are marrying, that you are marrying into a family from which you discouraged me, and now that it is not a union of joy. Yet I see how it is necessary. It is quite extraordinary."

"I hope you are not angry with me for not telling you everything last week?"

Bingley hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "I am not angry now, Darcy. I was angry at first, of course, to know what you and my sisters had concealed from me. But that is all past now. I can only be delighted to know that you are marrying my Jane's sister."

"Your Jane?" Darcy asked, curious in his turn.

Bingley flushed, then smiled broadly. "She shall be mine, if she will accept me. I had already made up my mind to ask her when I returned from town, but then this scandal threatened to break out. Now that Miss Elizabeth's name is cleared, nothing shall stop me from making an offer."

"You allowed a mere rumor to keep you from proposing to the woman you so greatly admire?"

"My sister would not allow it! She would not hear of me making an offer with such a rumor in existence. She made me promise that I would not."

"Perhaps I may assist you, then. As you said, Miss Elizabeth's name is now completely cleared, so there can be no more impediment. I am invited to Longbourn tomorrow, and you with me. Perhaps I shall find some way of allowing you to speak with Jane alone. Once the deed is done and the announcement is made, your sister can make no real objection."

Bingley's smile grew even wider. "Thank you, Darcy. If you can arrange for me to be alone with Jane, I shall be completely disposed to forgive you for what you did in January."

"Then may I claim the bond of friendship and trespass upon your hospitality? We can proceed from here directly to Longbourn tomorrow."

"Yes, of course! I will not allow you to lodge anywhere else! Stay here at Netherfield tonight, and by this time tomorrow, I hope we shall _both_ be engaged!"

**A/N I've always thought Jane a more complex character than we generally give her credit for. She is, in many ways, the glue that holds the Bennet family together, and if Bingley can't be a strong person for her, then I think even her patience might be tested.**


End file.
